Self-handicapping is defined as "the proactive use of excuses and reduced effort by individuals prior to a socially evaluative event for the purpose of protecting their self-esteem (or status according to status characteristics theory) from potential negative feedback." Data already shows that males self-handicap while females do not and White males self-handicap more than any other group. Based on the status characteristics theory, society deems males as high-status and females as low-status in various fields, that is, society believes males to be more proficient at certain tasks than females and in turn more is expected of them. Extrapolating from this, along with the daily interactions that boys and girls experience, certain experiences that have an enduring impact on socialization, such as schooling, should further inculcate high-status and low-status positions for males and females, respectively. That is, teachers will treat male student systematically different from female students, boys and girls will perceive this gender discrimination, and thus respond in ways that either support this prejudice or attempt to overcome it.