Self-Handicapping Scale (SHS)
Psychology: PersonalityReliability: alpha 0.793 sample items
About this scale
A 25-item measure of dispositional self-handicapping — the tendency to create obstacles to one's own performance to protect self-esteem.
Sample item(s)
“I tend to make excuses when I do something wrong”
“I always try to do my best, no matter what (reverse)”
“Sometimes I get so depressed that even easy tasks become difficult”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.79. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Rhodewalt, F., Saltzman, A. T., & Wittmer, J. (1984): Self-handicapping among competitive athletes: The role of practice in self-esteem protection. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 197–209.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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