托福口语 Task 3

In behavioral psychology, the concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition in which an individual, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, stops trying to change or avoid those situations, even when opportunities to escape are later presented. This occurs because the individual has learned that their actions have no effect on outcomes, leading to passivity and a diminished sense of agency. Learned helplessness can severely impact motivation and problem-solving abilities in various life domains.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from an experiment with dogs. Researchers placed dogs in a chamber with an electrified floor. In the first phase, some dogs were harnessed and given electric shocks that they could not avoid—no matter what they did, the shocks just continued. Other dogs could press a panel to stop the shocks. Later, all dogs were placed in a shuttle box with a low barrier in the middle. When the floor was electrified, the dogs that had control easily jumped over the barrier to escape. But the dogs that had learned they couldn't control the shocks just lay down and whined. They didn't even try to jump, even though the barrier was low and escape was clearly possible. They had learned to be helpless.