托福口语 Task 3

In behavioral psychology, the concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition in which an individual, after repeated exposure to unavoidable negative events, begins to believe that their actions have no effect on outcomes. This belief persists even when opportunities to escape or change the situation later become available. Learned helplessness typically arises from a lack of perceived control, leading to passivity, reduced motivation, and impaired problem-solving. It is often studied in both animal and human contexts to understand how prior experiences shape future behavior.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from an experiment with dogs. In the first phase, dogs were placed in a chamber with a floor that delivered mild electric shocks. One group could press a panel to stop the shocks, so they learned they had control. The other group received shocks that stopped only when the first group pressed the panel, so they had no control—their actions didn't matter. In the second phase, both groups were placed in a shuttle box with a low barrier. They could easily jump over the barrier to escape the shocks. The dogs that had control quickly learned to jump over. But the dogs that had no control in the first phase mostly lay down and whined, even though the barrier was low and escape was possible. They had learned that their efforts were useless, so they didn't even try. That's learned helplessness in action.