Ryan begins his twenty-page sociology paper at about 5 p.m. on the night before the paper is due. At around 6 p.m., Gary requests a favor that would take several hours. Ryan grants the favor and ends up leaving himself just a few hours to complete the paper. Later, when friends ask Ryan about his paper grade, he says, "I got a D because I was helping Gary all night instead of writing." This scenario exemplifies a self-presentation process called

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This scenario exemplifies self-handicapping, which is when individuals deliberately create obstacles or excuses to attribute any potential failure to external factors rather than their own abilities or effort. In this case, Ryan is blaming his poor grade on helping Gary instead of taking responsibility for his own procrastination.

Ryan Begins His Twenty-Page Sociology Paper at About 5 P