Behavioral other-enhancement: Strategically obscuring the link between performance and evaluation

A strategy related to self-handicapping in which individuals supply a comparison other with a performance advantage rather than handicap their own performance was investigated in two experiments. In Experiment 1 greater other-enhancement was found among men than among women. In addition, men engaged in the most other-enhancement when expecting that their performance would be compared with that of a coparticipant. In Experiment 2 the hypothesis that subjects would facilitate their coparticipant's performance primarily under conditions of uncer-tainty and competition was supported. A defining feature of contemporary Western society is the extraordinary emphasis placed on achievement and success. Striving for success seems to pervade every aspect of human interaction from the classroom, to the playing field, to the cor-porate boardroom. This emphasis on achievement and success suggests that people might make every effort to ensure posses-sion of the necessary resources to maximize performance. Indi-viduals would be expected to reach for any and every advantag