The purpose of the present study is to explore how academic self-concept and implicit theories of ability are related to four self-regulation strategies--motivation/diligence, concentration, information processing, and self-handicapping. The hypothesis is that academic self-concept and an incremental theory of ability are (1) positively related to motivation/diligence, concentration, and information processing strategies, and (2) negatively related to self-handicapping strategies. On the basis of inventories 168 teacher students and 60 sport students (a total of 178 females and 50 males) were scored on academic self-concept, incremental and fixed theories of ability and the four self-regulation strategies. Multiple regression analysis was used for each self-regulation strategy as dependent variable, and with academic self-concept and the ability theories as independent variables. Results revealed that an incremental theory had, as predicted, a positive relation with motivation/diligence and concentration, but had only trivial relations with information processing and self-handicapping, whereas a fixed theory had only the predicted relation with self-handicapping. As hypothesised, a high academic self-concept was positively related to motivation/diligence, conception, and information processing and negatively to self-handicapping. The findings may indicate that, in order to promote meta-theoretical processing and prevent student from self-handicapping, it is important to strengthen academic self-concept, and to foster an incremental conception of ability among students. (Contains 2 tables.)