TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'learned helplessness' refers to a condition in which an individual, after repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events, begins to believe that their actions have no effect on outcomes. This belief leads to passivity and a failure to attempt change, even when opportunities for relief become available. Learned helplessness often results from early experiences of failure or trauma, and it can persist into adulthood, affecting motivation and problem-solving abilities. The key is that the individual perceives a lack of control, whether or not control actually exists.

Professor: Let me give you an example. In a classic experiment, researchers put dogs in a chamber with a floor that delivered mild electric shocks. One group of dogs could stop the shocks by pressing a panel with their noses. Another group of dogs received the same shocks but had no way to stop them—they were yoked to the first group. After this phase, both groups were placed in a shuttle box where they could escape shocks by jumping over a low barrier. The dogs that had control quickly learned to jump over and escape. But the dogs that had no control earlier—they just lay down and whined, even though escape was easy. They had learned that nothing they did mattered, so they didn't even try. That’s learned helplessness in action.