Voices in our heads: Explaining the science of self-handicapping
About this episode
The episode discusses self-handicapping behaviors and their impact on academic performance with insights from psychology student Tom Carbery.
“Next time you find yourself avoiding the work you should be doing, remember: your values hold the key to success.” – Tom Carbery Are you ever so worried about failing at something that you actively seek out other activities to do instead… and then ‘blame’ those as the reason you fail? You might be 'self-handicapping'. On this episode, UWA psychology student Tom Carbery shares his mini-podcast about self-handicapping with our host, Emma. They discuss how self-sabotaging behaviours can affect academic performance, the psychology behind maladaptive coping strategies, and the importance of self-affirmation. Tom also shares his creative process: why he chose the topic, how he aimed to reduce ATAR students’ anxiety about assessments, what’s good – and not so good – about recording inside a closet, AI tools for podcasting, and the importance of authority, evidence, and appropriate guests when sharing psychological science. “You need to show all parts of the spectrum… the empirical evidence, the case study, as well as the more personal feel. I think that creates the best balance. Self-help advice is great, but you need to have evidence for what you’re saying.” – Tom Carbery Episode…
People in this episode
Host: Emma
Guest: Tom Carbery
Topics covered
- self-handicapping
- academic performance
- psychology
- maladaptive coping strategies
- self-affirmation
Keywords
- self-handicapping
- academic performance
- psychology
- self-sabotage
- coping strategies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Books & works: Drug choice as a self-handicapping strategy in response to noncontingent success
More episodes of The SciComm Collective
- Why make a science podcast?
- Hidden Identities
- Echoes of Extinction
- The Brownbeak Chronicles: SciComm x Bird Noir
- Looking back, listening differently: Lessons from a misophonia podcast
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The SciComm Collective podcast page.