The Relationship between Self-Concept and Self-Handicapping Behaviors among Ethnic Minority College Students

The Relationship between Self-Concept and Self-Handicapping Behaviors among Ethnic Minority College Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between self-concept and self-handicapping among Latino college students. Self-handicapping involves actions or inactions that inhibit performance and provides an individual with an external explanation for potential failure. Two hundred nineteen Latino undergraduate students from a diverse Southern California university completed survey instruments measuring self-handicapping, ethnic identity, imposter feelings, and self-esteem. Academic self-handicapping was positively associated with experiencing imposter feelings and negatively associated with self-esteem and ethnic identity development. These relationships are further examined by exploring gender differences and other participant demographic information such as grade point average. The current research contributes to literature that aims to understand maladaptive cognition and behavior in academic settings as well as how they may relate to the psychological experiences of ethnic minority students. Implications for potential intervention are discussed.