Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Unrealistic Optimism Bias01:30

Unrealistic Optimism Bias

Unrealistic optimism bias is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes. This cognitive bias makes individuals believe they are less likely to experience failures, setbacks, or risks and more likely to succeed than others. For example, people may assume they are less prone to health issues, accidents, or financial struggles than their peers, even when they share similar risk factors.One key component of this bias is the above-average effect, where individuals perceive...
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects01:29

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
Motivational Bias01:25

Motivational Bias

Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quorum sensing signals and related virulence inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by a potential probiotic strain's organic acid.

Microbial pathogenesis·2018
Same author

Mediating Role of Mindfulness on the Associations of Friendship Quality and Subjective Vitality.

Psychological reports·2016
Same author

The Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Dentistry.

Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR·2015
Same author

Does Self-Compassion Predict Spiritual Experiences of Turkish University Students?

Journal of religion and health·2015
Same author

THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL SAFENESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Facebook(®) USE AND LIFE SATISFACTION.

Psychological reports·2015
Same author

Examining the relationship between authenticity and self-handicapping.

Psychological reports·2014

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

Self-handicapping and burnout.

Ahmet Akin1

  • 1Psychological Counseling Department, Sakarya University, Faculty of Education, Sakarya, Turkey. aakin@sakarya.edu.tr

Psychological Reports
|April 12, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Self-handicapping strategies, where individuals excuse failure, are positively linked to student burnout. This includes emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lower personal accomplishment in university students.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Self-handicapping involves strategies to externalize failure and internalize success.
  • Student burnout is a significant concern in higher education.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between self-handicapping and burnout among university students.
  • To quantify the impact of self-handicapping on different dimensions of burnout.

Main Methods:

  • Administered the Self-handicapping Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory to 309 university students.
  • Utilized structural equation modeling to analyze the data.

Main Results:

  • Self-handicapping showed a positive correlation with emotional exhaustion.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

  • A positive correlation was found between self-handicapping and depersonalization.
  • Self-handicapping was positively correlated with lowered personal accomplishment.
  • Conclusions:

    • Self-handicapping significantly predicts components of burnout in university students.
    • The findings suggest self-handicapping strategies contribute to student burnout.
    • Interventions targeting self-handicapping may help mitigate student burnout.