Planning to Fail: Mental Simulation and Self-handicapping

• Applicant: Professor Sean M. McCrea, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2005 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5452823

Self-handicapping involves creating obstacles to success prior to a performance in order to blame failure on this obstacle rather than on a lack of ability. The current proposal examines how thoughts about the future determine the motivation behind and planning of self-handicapping. An initial study seeks to demonstrate that prefactual thoughts (i.e., thoughts about how a future event could happen differently) about failure constitute plans for self-handicapping. Two subsequent studies examine the question of self-deception, namely how self-handicappers might plan their strategy an dyet believe in the validity of their own excuses. These studies examine whether these plans occur outside of awareness, and whether they function automatically and without conscious control. Two final studies examine the role of anticipated regret in the motivation to self-handicap. The first seeks they will feel as a result of failing without an excuse. The second tests wether these feelings in fact motivate self-handicapping behavior.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants