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This review article aims at clarifying the determinants of behavioral self-handicapping strategies. It synthesizes the effect of numerous personal and situational variables and focuses more specifically on the interaction between these variables. The importance of circumscribing the forms of behavioral self-handicapping that are studied is demonstrated. These forms are determined by the motive of the strategy (self-protection vs. self-enhancement) and its target (others and/or oneself). This review proposes a model that looks at motives and targets to understand the interaction between personal and situational determinants of self-handicapping. According to their personal characteristics, individuals would engage in behavioral self-handicapping for different motives and targets, and would use theses strategies in some situations more than in others.