What psychological strategy is exemplified when Leslie exaggerates her circumstances regarding the reading assignment?

The exaggeration of one's circumstances about a reading assignment illustrates the strategy of rationalization. This psychological tactic involves individuals justifying or reconciling their feelings or behaviors by offering reasonable-sounding explanations, even if those reasons may not be entirely accurate. By inflating the challenges of the reading assignment, Leslie is attempting to validate her emotional state or reluctance towards completing the task. This strategy often serves to ease feelings of guilt or inadequacy by framing the individual's situation in a way that makes it more understandable or acceptable, despite the exaggeration.

In the context of the other options, academic detachment refers to a dispassionate approach to schoolwork that typically involves a lack of emotional investment, which does not align with exaggeration. Inconceivability might suggest an inability to comprehend something, but it does not apply to the act of exaggerating circumstances. Tabloid thinking usually implies a sensationalized or superficial approach to analyzing situations, which, while somewhat relevant, does not capture the essence of rationalizing one's circumstances as clearly as the chosen answer does.