Self-handicapping

Biological Parallel

Male peacocks bearing elaborate tails signal genetic quality through costly display—but the handicap is honest: only healthy males can afford the predation risk and metabolic cost. Self-handicapping in animals is always about signaling (Zahavi's handicap principle). But humans self-handicap strategically: creating excuses before potential failure ("I didn't study") protects ego if we fail while preserving credit if we succeed. This diverges from biology: our version is defensive attribution, not honest signaling. The behavior co-opts costly signaling psychology but reverses its function—instead of proving quality despite costs, we create costs to excuse potential quality deficits.