Vanessa has an important presentation at work, but she fears that she will do a poor job due to her stage fright. The evening before the presentation, she goes to a bar with her friends and spends the entire night there. She now has a severe hangover during the morning of the presentation. Social psychologists refer to Vanessa's behavior as ____.
A)self-regulation
B)automatic egotism
C)overjustification
D)self-handicapping

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vanessa's behavior is an example of self-handicapping, where an individual sets up a barrier or excuse for potential failure. By spending the night out and getting a hangover, she has created a situation where if she performs poorly, the blame could be attributed to her hangover rather than her stage fright or lack of ability.

Vanessa Has an Important Presentation at Work, but She Fears