托福口语 Task 3

The concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a psychological state in which an individual, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, stops trying to change or escape the situation, even when opportunities for control later become available. This phenomenon 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 affect motivation, emotional well-being, and problem-solving abilities in various contexts, such as academic or workplace settings.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a study involving students. In a school, researchers introduced a new math program. For the first month, students were given puzzles that were impossible to solve, no matter how hard they tried. The teacher praised effort but never let them succeed. After this period, the puzzles were replaced with age-appropriate, solvable ones. Interestingly, many students simply stared at the problems and gave up quickly, saying 'I can't do this.' Even when the teacher offered hints and extra time, they refused to attempt them. These students had learned that their efforts were futile, so they became passive and stopped trying. In contrast, a control group that started with solvable puzzles remained engaged and solved the new problems easily. The key was that the first group's repeated failure taught them that they had no control over the outcome, which carried over to a situation where control was possible.