ABSTRACT
This chapter examines personality variables associated with failure-avoidant strategies. In the case of impostor fears, defensive pessimism, self handicapping and procrastination there are trait measures which assess the individual's proclivity to engage in behaviours characteristic of these phenomena. In the case of self-worth protection, two aspects of personality, low academic self-esteem and uncertain global self-esteem, are associated with different performance outcomes in situations of high and low evaluative threat. However, on the basis of discussion in the previous chapter, it is clear that there are common links with unproductive beliefs, attributional tendencies and personality traits. Chief amongst these is self esteem.
