This study examines defensive pessimist, self-handicapping, and avoiding handling behaviors, the associations between these strategies and the prediction on academic outcomes. The study sample consists of 484 nursing college students and the date is analyzed using stepwise regression, Canonic relation and Structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings reveal that defensive pessimist statistically correlates self-handicapping strategies; defensive reflectivity predicts both avoiding handling behaviors and academic performance. Acquired handicapping strategies predict avoiding handling behaviors and academic performance. Moreover, defensive expectation predicts avoiding novelty and academic performance, and the research model perfectly fits the observed data.