TOEFL Speaking Task 3

The concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a psychological phenomenon where an individual, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, stops trying to avoid or change the situation, even when escape becomes possible. This learned response can generalize to new situations, leading to passivity and a lack of motivation. Learned helplessness often arises in environments where a person perceives that their actions have no effect on outcomes, regardless of their actual control.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from psychology. In an experiment, dogs were placed in a chamber with a low barrier. They received mild electric shocks, but they could jump over the barrier to escape. At first, some dogs learned to jump quickly. However, other dogs were first restrained in a harness while receiving shocks, so they couldn't escape no matter what they did. After several trials, these dogs were placed in the chamber without the harness. Surprisingly, they didn't try to jump. They just lay down and whined, accepting the shocks passively. Even when the barrier was lowered, they made no effort. These dogs had learned that their actions were futile, so they gave up trying. This demonstrates how prior uncontrollable experiences create learned helplessness, affecting future behavior even when control is possible.