TOEFL Speaking Task 3

The concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a psychological condition in which an individual, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, begins to believe that their actions have no effect on outcomes. As a result, they stop trying to change their situation, even when opportunities for escape or improvement become available. This learned passivity can generalize to new situations, leading to decreased motivation and problem-solving skills. Researchers argue that learned helplessness is not an innate trait but a learned response, often arising from experiences of failure or lack of control during crucial developmental periods.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example from animal research. In an experiment, dogs were placed in a chamber with a low barrier dividing it into two parts. One side delivered mild electric shocks, but the dogs could jump over the barrier to escape. However, before this test, half of the dogs had been exposed to shocks they couldn't avoid—they were harnessed and couldn't move away. After that experience, when they were placed in the shuttle box, they initially tried to jump but soon gave up and just lay down, whimpering, even though the barrier was low enough to escape easily. The other group, which had never experienced uncontrollable shocks, quickly learned to jump over the barrier whenever a shock started. The first group showed learned helplessness: they had learned that their efforts were futile, so they stopped trying, even when escape was possible.