Jason waits until the last week to begin his term paper and finds all the "good" resources checked out. When he receives a D on his paper, he explains to his parents about the lack of materials he had to work with in order to "pull this paper together." Jason's procrastination provided him with an excuse for his poor performance. This example illustrates the concept of
A)self-handicapping.
B)actor-observer bias.
C)the fundamental attribution error.
D)the autokinetic effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Self-handicapping is a strategy where people create obstacles and excuses for themselves so that if they do poorly on a task, they can avoid blaming their failure on a lack of ability. In this scenario, Jason's procrastination and subsequent blaming of the lack of resources is a classic example of self-handicapping, as it provides him an excuse for his poor performance that is external to his own efforts or abilities.

Jason Waits Until the Last Week to Begin His Term