TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In behavioral psychology, 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition in which an organism, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, stops trying to avoid or change the situation, even when opportunities for escape become available. This occurs because the individual has learned that their actions have no effect on outcomes, leading to passivity, reduced motivation, and a belief that control is impossible. Learned helplessness is often studied in both animals and humans, and it can be overcome through re-training that demonstrates the link between effort and positive results.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic experiment. Researchers placed two groups of dogs in a shuttle box—a box with a low barrier in the middle. Before the main test, Group A was given mild electric shocks but could stop them by pressing a panel. Group B received the same shocks but had no control—the shocks stopped only when Group A pressed the panel. So Group B learned that nothing they did mattered. Later, both groups were put in the shuttle box where a tone signaled a shock. To escape, they just had to jump over the barrier. Group A quickly learned to jump. Group B, however, just lay down and whined, even though jumping would easily end the shock. They had learned helplessness—they didn't even try because they believed their actions were useless. This shows how past uncontrollable experiences can lead to passive resignation.