What Is Learned Helplessness and Why Does it Happen?
Learned helplessness is a state that occurs after a person has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly. They come
to believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try — even when opportunities for
change become available.
The discovery of learned helplessness
The concept of learned helplessness was discovered accidentally by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven F. Maier.
They had initially observed helpless behavior in dogs that were classically conditioned to expect an electrical shock
after hearing a tone.
Later, the dogs were placed in a shuttlebox that contained two chambers separated by a low barrier. The floor was
electrified on one side, and not on the other. The dogs previously subjected to the classical conditioning made no
attempts to escape, even though avoiding the shock simply involved jumping over a small barrier.
To investigate this phenomenon, the researchers then devised another experiment.
In group one, the dogs were strapped into harnesses for a period of time and then released.
In group two, the dogs were placed in the same harnesses but were subjected to electrical shocks that could be avoided by pressing a
panel with their noses.
In group three,the dogs received the same shocks as those in group two, except that those in this group were not able to control the
shock. For those dogs in the third group, the shocks seemed to be completely random and outside of their control.
The dogs were then placed in a shuttlebox. Dogs from the first and second group quickly learned that jumping the barrier
eliminated the shock. Those from the third group, however, made no attempts to get away from the shocks. Due to their
previous experience, they had developed a cognitive expectation that nothing they did would prevent or eliminate the
shocks.
Learned Helplessness in Humans
he impact of learned helplessness has been demonstrated in different animal species, but its effects can also be seen
in people.
Consider one often-used example: A child who performs poorly on math tests and assignments will quickly begin to feel
that nothing he does will have any effect on his math performance. When later faced with any type of math-related task,
he may experience a sense of helplessness.
Learned helplessness has also been associated with several different psychological disorders. Depression, anxiety,
phobias, shyness, and loneliness can all be exacerbated by learned helplessness.
For example, a woman who feels shy in social situations may eventually begin to feel that there is nothing she can do to
overcome her symptoms. This sense that her symptoms are out of her direct control may lead her to stop trying to engage
herself in social situations, thus making her shyness even more pronounced.
Researchers have found, however, that learned helplessness does not always generalize across all settings and
situations.
A student who experiences learned helplessness with regards to math class will not necessarily experience that same
helplessness when faced with performing calculations in the real world. In other cases, people may experience learned
helplessness that generalizes across a wide variety of situations.
Learned Helplessness in children
Learned helplessness often originates in childhood, and unreliable or unresponsive caregivers can contribute to these
feelings. This learned helplessness can begin very early in life. Children raised in institutionalized settings, for
example, often exhibit symptoms of helplessness even during infancy.
When children need help but no one comes to their aid, they may be left feeling that nothing they do will change their
situation. Repeated experiences that bolster these feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can result in growing into
adulthood ultimately feeling that there is nothing one can do to change his or her problems.
Some common symptoms of learned helplessness in children include:
So what can people do to overcome learned helplessness? Research suggests that learned helplessness can be successfully
decreased, particularly if intervention occurs during early onset. Long-term learned helplessness can also be reduced,
although it may require longer-term effort.
Therapy can be effective in reducing symptoms of learned helplessness. In one study, for example, some participants were
asked to try to complete an unsolvable task.
Those who received a therapeutic intervention after failing at the task were more likely to try again and successfully
complete a follow-up task. Those who did not receive an intervention were more likely to experience learned helplessness
and give up.
So what can people do to overcome learned helplessness? Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can
be beneficial in overcoming the thinking and behavioral patterns that contribute to learned helplessness.
The goal of CBT is to help patients identify negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of learned
helplessness and then replace these thoughts with more optimistic and rational thoughts. This process often involves
carefully analyzing what you are thinking, actively challenging these ideas, and disputing negative thought patterns.
Psychology Forever