托福口语 Task 3

In behavioral psychology, 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition where an individual, after repeated exposure to unavoidable negative events, begins to believe that their actions have no effect on outcomes, even when escape or change becomes possible. This learned perception of powerlessness often leads to passivity, reduced motivation, and difficulty in recognizing opportunities for relief. The concept highlights how past experiences can shape future behavior and problem-solving approaches.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from a study with dogs. In the first phase, a dog was placed in a chamber with an electrified floor. Every time a tone sounded, the floor gave a mild shock. The dog could stop the shock by pressing a panel, but in this group, the panel was disabled—so no matter what the dog did, the shock continued. After several trials, the dog stopped trying and just lay down, whimpering during the shocks. In the second phase, the same dog was placed in a shuttle box with a low barrier separating two sides. When the tone sounded, the floor on the dog's side was electrified, but the dog could easily jump over the barrier to escape. However, instead of jumping, the dog just lay down and accepted the shock. Even when the experimenter showed the dog the escape route, the dog remained passive. This demonstrates that the dog had learned that its actions were futile, so it gave up entirely, illustrating learned helplessness.