Academic self-handicapping: the role of self-concept clarity and students' learning strategies.
BACKGROUND
Self-handicapping is linked to students' personal motivations, classroom goal structure, academic outcomes, global self-esteem and certainty of self-esteem. Academic self-handicapping has yet to be studied with respect to students' consistency in self-description and their description of themselves as learners.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined students' self-esteem and self-concept clarity as well as their tendencies to employ deep- or surface-learning approaches and self-regulate while learning in relation to their self-handicapping tendencies and exam performance.


METHODS
Participants were 161 male and female Canadian, first-year university students.


METHODS
Participants completed a series of questionnaires that measured their self-esteem, self-concept clarity, approaches to learning, self-regulation and reflections on performance prior to and following their exam.


RESULTS
Self-handicapping was negatively correlated with self-concept clarity, deep learning, self-regulated learning and exam grades, and positively correlated with surface learning and test anxiety. Regression analyses showed that self-concept clarity, self-regulation, surface-learning and test anxiety scores predicted self-handicapping scores. Self-concept clarity, test anxiety scores, academic self-efficacy and self-regulation were predictors of mid-term exam grades.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that students' self-concept clarity and learning strategies are related to their tendencies to self-handicap and their exam performance. The role of students' ways of learning and their self-concept clarity in self-handicapping and academic performance was explored.
Thomas
Cathy R
CR
Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada.
Gadbois
Shannon A
SA
D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities