This research investigated the hypothesis that intellectual competence is chronically accessible to individuals who question their own intellectual competence, despite their own uncertainty on this dimension, and that they rely on intellectual competence in forming impressions of and thinking about others. In two studies, we show that doubtful individuals are more likely to use traits related to intellectual competence to describe others and these traits more strongly affect their overall impressions of others. These findings support recent approaches to accessibility by showing that a self-relevant trait may be chronically accessible to an individual even in the face of uncertainty regarding one's standing on the trait. The findings also contribute to the understanding of the phenomenology of self-doubt.

Lack of effort is a common index of self-handicapping. Yet, withholding effort is subject to a number of other interpretations. In two studies, we tested whether men would engage in effortful self-handicapping (practice more) and how this compares to effort withdrawal. When men believed that practice could be harmful to future performance, those high in trait self-handicapping were expected to behaviorally self-handicap by exerting effort. This prediction was confirmed in both a novel non-contingent-success setting (Study 1) and a more realistic contingent-success setting (Study 2). We suggest that to achieve a strong and clear indication of behavioral self-handicapping, researchers consider effort expenditure, as it is less susceptible to alternative explanations than effort withdrawal. Implications for refinements to self-handicapping theory are discussed.

Although according to the literature being able to build loyalty in consumers is a key factor in acquiring market share and sustaining a competitive advantage, very little is known about the factors affecting loyalty to a camping site. This study was designed to identify if campers demographic variables and their level of satisfaction with a camping site may be related to their loyalty to the camping site.