Self-Handicapping and Its Impact on Mental Health

Öz

Self handicapping is characterized by experiencing anxiety at succeeding a mission although the person has the capacity to fulfill the assignment or duty. It describes one’s showing tendency to link own failures to problems in own performance instead of own abilities to protect oneself from the possibility of failure. When individuals care about performance much but doubt about success, they display self-handicapping strategies to protect their self. Self-handicappers try to protect their self by internalizing successes and externalizing failures. This strategies help them feel well in both successes and failures. Self-handicapping becomes a trait of personality in time and the individual begins to use it continuously as a negative coping mechanism to protect his/her self and to avoid failures. These actions eliminates the capability of rational thinking and prevents solution of the problems as a result of irrational interpretations. Self-handicapping causes the decrease of life satisfaction and motivation, and causes the increase of maladaptation, negative mood, somatic symptoms and alcohol-drug abuse. As a conclusion, self-handicapping hinders performance and this negative performance influences adaptation and psychological well-being. The most essential approach to prevent occurrence of self-handicapping behaviours is empowerment of the self.

Anahtar Kelimeler

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Kendini Sabote Etme ve Ruh Sağlığı Üzerine Etkisi

Öz

Kendini sabote etme davranışı, bireyin bir işi ya da görevi yerine getirebilecek kapasitede olmasına rağmen, bu işi başarıyla yapıp yapamayacağına yönelik endişe yaşaması ile karakterizedir. Bireyin başarısız olma olasılığından kendini korumak amacıyla başarısızlık durumlarını yeteneklerinden ziyade performansındaki sorunlara bağlama eğilimi göstermesini tanımlamaktadır. Bireyler performanslarını önemsediklerinde, ancak başarı olasılıklarından şüphe ettiklerinde, benliklerini korumak amacıyla kendini sabote etme davranışları sergilemektedirler. Kendilerini sabote eden kişiler başarılarını içselleştirerek, başarısızlıklarını ise dışsallaştırarak benliklerini korumaya çalışmaktadırlar. Bu durum bireylerin her iki durumda da yani hem başarısızlıklarında hem de başarılarında kendilerini iyi hissetmelerine hizmet etmektedir. Kendini sabotaj zamanla bireyin kişilik özelliği haline gelmektedir ve birey benliğini koruyabilmek, başarısızlıkları ile yüzleşmekten kaçınmak için olumsuz baş etme davranışı olarak bu stratejiyi sürekli olarak kullanmaktadır. Bu durum problemlerin gerçekçi şekilde değerlendirilmesini ortadan kaldırmakta, gerçekçi olmayan değerlendirmeler sonucunda sorunun çözümlenememesine neden olmaktadır. Kendini sabotaj zamanla birlikte bireyin yaşam doyumunun ve içsel motivasyonunun azalmasına, uyumsuzluk, olumsuz duygulanım, somatik semptomlar ve alkol ve madde kullanımı gibi olumsuz alışkanlıklarının artmasına neden olmaktadır. Sonuç olarak kendini sabotaj performansı engellemekte ve performans kaybı uyum ve psikolojik iyi olma üzerinde olumsuz etkilerde bulunmaktadır. Kendini sabote etme davranışlarının ortaya çıkmasını önlemek için yapılması gereken en önemli yaklaşım, benliğin güçlendirilmesidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kendini sabote etme, öz-yeterlilik, ruh sağlığı

Kaynakça

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