What reasoning might lead someone to say a pen could have changed their test performance?

Rationalization is a defense mechanism where an individual explains away an event or a choice in a way that makes it seem more acceptable or justified, even if the reasoning may not clearly align with reality. In this context, someone might feel that the type of pen they used during the test could have influenced their performance, providing a plausible explanation for their results. This thought process allows them to shift blame away from their preparation or ability and attribute their success or failure to an external factor, such as the pen.

For example, if a student believed that the pen they used helped them write more neatly or clearly, they could rationalize that this contributed positively to their overall test performance. This reasoning helps individuals cope with outcomes they may not fully understand, effectively allowing them to find meaning or justification in their experiences or failures.

This contrasts with wishful thinking, which involves a desire for outcomes that are unlikely to happen, academic detachment that signifies a lack of personal investment in the academic process, and prejudice, which refers to preconceived opinions that are not based on reason or actual experience. This provides context to how rationalization specifically relates to attributing changes in test performance to something like the choice of a pen rather than examining other influences more introspectively.