"I know you self-handicapped last exam": Gender differences in reactions to self-handicapping. |
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Authors: | Hirt, Edward R. McCrea, Sean M. Boris, Hillary I. |
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Abstract: | Past research has shown that self-handicapping involves the trade-off of ability-related attributional benefits for interpersonal costs. Study 1 examined whether perceiver or target sex moderates impressions of self-handicapping targets. Although target sex was not an important factor, female perceivers were consistently more critical of behavioral self-handicappers. Two additional studies replicated this gender difference with variations of the handicap. Study 3 examined the motives inferred by perceivers and found that women not only view self-handicappers as more unmotivated but also report greater suspicion of self-handicapping motives; furthermore, these differences in perceived motives mediated sex differences in reactions to self-handicappers. Implications for the effectiveness of self-handicapping as an impression management strategy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
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Keywords: | self-handicapping attribution interpersonal interaction observer impressions gender differences |
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