Individual Differences in Peer Relationships

This book summarizes a series of research projectsinvestigating the effects of self-handicapping on anindividual's daily life by looking at participants'peer relationship and social interactions reactionsof peers to self-handicapping behaviors andself-presentation strategies. Self-handicapping whendisclosed to peers was predicted by previousresearch to negatively affect social networks. Theseries of studies presented in this book illustratesthat the effect of self-handicapping on peerrelationships is not nearly as straightforward asprevious research might suggest and not universallynegative. Self-handicappers were found incomparison to low self-handicappers to have morefriends with whom less close relationships weremaintained. Self-handicappers were also found tospend compared with low self-handicappers a greateramount of time engaged in social activities withothers(particularly with males). Finallyself-handicapping as a behavior was displayed verydifferently depending upon the presence and gender ofothers and this change in display impacted theperception others formed regarding the behavior.