Self-esteem, achievement goals, and self-protection strategies: a person-centered approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.20886Keywords:
Self-esteem, Achievement goals, Motivational profiles, Self-handicapping, Defensive pessimismAbstract
Self-handicapping and defensive pessimism strategies are a resource frequently used by students seeking to protect their feelings of personal worth. A large group of studies has shown that self-esteem and achievement goals are two of the most important motivational predictors of these strategies. However, the study of these relationships has been carried out from a variable-centered approach. From the identification of different student profiles based on their self-esteem and achievement goals (learning, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance), it was intended to determine, within each profile, the predictive power of these variables on the self-protection strategies. 1,028 university students participated in the study, selected through convenience sampling. Starting from the determination of four profiles —(a) high self-esteem and predominance of performance goals; (b) high self-esteem and predominance of learning goals; (c) low self-esteem and predominance of performance goals; and (d) low self-esteem and high generalized goals—, linear regression analyses (stepwise method) were performed. The results showed that learning goals were a negative predictor of self-handicapping in the two profiles with high self-esteem. Likewise, performance-avoidance goals (negatively) and both approximative goals (positively) were shown as predictors of defensive pessimism in the profiles with low self-esteem. These results suggest that it is necessary to know the motivational characteristics of each student in order to promote effective prevention of the use of self-protection strategies.
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