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Academic Goals and Self-Handicapping Strategies in University Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2016

María del Mar Ferradás ,
Carlos Freire ,
Antonio Valle  and
José Carlos Núñez Open the ORCID record for José Carlos Núñez [Opens in a new window]
María del Mar Ferradás*
Affiliation:
Universidade da Coruña (Spain)
Carlos Freire
Affiliation:
Universidade da Coruña (Spain)
Antonio Valle
Affiliation:
Universidade da Coruña (Spain)
José Carlos Núñez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Oviedo (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to María del Mar Ferradás-Canedo. Universidade da Coruña. Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación.Campus de Elviña s/n. CP. 15071. La Coruña (Spain). Phone: +34–981167000. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In highly competitive settings like university, the fear of failure leads some students to protect their self-worth using self-handicapping strategies. The present investigation examines to what extent academic goals are related to those tactics in university students. Specifically, MANCOVA was applied to estimate statistical differences linked to behavioral and claimed self-handicapping strategies according to the level (high/medium/low) of four types of academic goal (achievement approach, achievement avoidance, mastery approach, and work avoidance). Degree, year in school, and gender were entered as covariates. 940 students (86.5% women) from University of A Coruña (M = 20.44; SD = 1.73) participated. Results show that: (a) both behavioral and claimed self-handicapping are promoted by ego-oriented goals (achievement avoidance, F(2, 937) = 23.56, p < .001, ηp2 = .048; achievement approach, F(2, 937) = 7.49, p < .001, ηp2 = .016); (b) work avoidance goals are related to behavioral self-handicapping (F(2, 937) = 9.09, p < .001, ηp2 = .019), but are not statistically linked to claimed self-handicapping; and (c) mastery approach goals are significantly, negatively related to both types of self-handicapping (F(2, 937) = 20.09, p < .001, ηp2 = .041). Psychological and educational implications of the findings are discussed.

Keywords

academic goalsbehavioral self-handicappingclaimed self-handicappinguniversity students
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 19 , 2016 , E24
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2016 

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