John is nervous about his tennis match,but he still stays out late instead of getting a good night's sleep the night before the match.If he loses,he believes he could say that his lack of sleep caused his poor performance.This is an example of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario fits the definition of self-handicapping, which is when someone creates an excuse or obstacle as a way to protect their ego in case of failure. In this case, John staying out late instead of getting a good night's sleep is creating a possible excuse for a potential loss in the tennis match.

John Is Nervous About His Tennis Match,but He Still Stays