Self-Handicapping Among Competitive Athletes: The Role of Practice in Self-Esteem Protection

Abstract

Jones and Berglas (1978) have described self-handicapping as a set of behavioral strategies enacted before a performance that permits the individual to externalize failure and internalize success. Two field studies that investigated individual differences in self-handicapping among competitive athletes are reported. Several potential self-handicapping behaviors, such as practice effort, physical problems, and outside commitments were examined. In the first study, high self-handicapping intercollegiate swimmers withheld practice effort relative to low self-handicappers prior to competitions that posed a threat to self-esteem. This finding was replicated in a second study with professional golfers. In neither study did athletes differently utilize health problems as self-handicapping strategies. These findings are discussed in terms of the implications of an individual difference approach for the study and modification of self-handicapping behavior.