TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In behavioral psychology, the concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition where an individual perceives a lack of control over their environment, even when control is actually possible. This perception arises from repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, leading the person to stop trying to change the situation, even after conditions improve. Learned helplessness can reduce motivation, impair learning, and cause emotional distress. It is often studied in animals and humans to understand how past experiences shape future responses to stress and challenge.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic study. Researchers placed dogs in a chamber with a low barrier dividing it into two parts. In the first phase, dogs were restrained and given mild electric shocks that they could not avoid, no matter what they did. After several trials, the shocks stopped. Then, in the second phase, the same dogs were placed in the chamber where they could simply jump over the barrier to escape the shock. However, these dogs just lay down and whined, making no attempt to jump. They had learned that their actions were futile, so they gave up. In contrast, a control group of dogs that never experienced unavoidable shocks quickly learned to jump over the barrier to escape. This shows learned helplessness: past uncontrollable experiences made the dogs believe they had no control, even when escape was possible.