What strategy involves creating obstacles to avoid self-blame?

The strategy that involves creating obstacles to avoid self-blame is self-handicapping. This concept refers to an individual's tendency to create barriers or excuses that can lead to a poorer performance on a task. By doing so, the individual can attribute any failure to these obstacles rather than their own perceived lack of ability or effort. This psychological mechanism serves to protect the individual's self-esteem and preserve a positive self-image in the face of potential failure.

For example, a student might procrastinate studying for an important exam and justify their performance by citing insufficient preparation time instead of acknowledging a lack of effort or ability. This way, if they do not perform well, they can attribute their performance to the self-imposed handicap rather than internal deficiencies. In contrast, the other strategies listed—self-enhancement, self-determination, and self-regulation—do not emphasize the creation of obstacles but focus on different aspects of self-perception and personal agency.