TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition in which an individual, after repeatedly facing uncontrollable negative events, stops trying to change or avoid the situation, even when opportunities for escape later become available. This occurs because the person has learned that their actions have no influence on outcomes, leading to passivity and a sense of futility. Learned helplessness was first demonstrated in animal experiments and later applied to human behavior, particularly in contexts like education, mental health, and workplace motivation.

Professor: Now, let me illustrate learned helplessness with a classic study. In the experiment, researchers placed dogs in a chamber with a low barrier dividing it into two sections. In the first phase, the dogs were restrained in a harness and given electric shocks, which they could not avoid, no matter what they did. After several trials, they stopped trying to escape the shocks and simply endured them. In the second phase, the same dogs were placed in the shuttle box, where they could easily jump over the barrier to escape the shock. However, instead of jumping, most dogs just lay down and whimpered, even though the escape was clearly possible. They had learned that their efforts were futile, so they gave up trying, despite the new opportunity. This shows how past uncontrollable experiences lead to passive resignation, even when conditions change.