The rest took the test after the practice session. Students were given a practice booklet and told to practice as much or as little as they pleased. The most important measures were how many problems they tried and how long they practiced. It might be a good idea if classroom teachers would bolster or affirm all students' self-evaluations before tests. That way students should try to do their best rather than act to create excuses.
People create a disadvantage for themselves as a way of protection.
Unfortunately, putting yourself at a disadvantage by self-handicapping makes it more likely that you will fail. The study, which has been submitted to the Journal of Social Psychology , was presented at the Society of Experimental Social Psychology annual meeting this fall.