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Making Things Harder for Yourself

Pride and Joy

  • Chapter
Self-Defeating Behaviors

Part of the book series: The Plenum Series in Social / Clinical Psychology ((SSSC))

Abstract

Making things harder for yourself incorporates a paradox. Why would people apparently seeking success do things that would detract from performance and increase the chances for failure? Why do students so often procrastinate, putting term papers off to the last possible moment? Why would a high school senior stay up late the night before taking the SAT exam? In anticipation of an important job interview, why might an unemployed executive get drunk the night before? Why do the depressed so often withdraw rather than trying for the success that might improve their mood? Why do so many people take drugs that impair their abilities?

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 07102, Newark, New Jersey, USA

    Mel L. Snyder

  2. Department of Psychology, Salve Regina—The Newport College, 02840, Newport, Rhode Island, USA

    Arthur Frankel

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  1. Mel L. Snyder
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  2. Arthur Frankel
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  1. Department of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York, USA

    Rebecca C. Curtis

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Snyder, M.L., Frankel, A. (1989). Making Things Harder for Yourself. In: Curtis, R.C. (eds) Self-Defeating Behaviors. The Plenum Series in Social / Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0783-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0783-9_6

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