托福口语 Task 3

In psychology, the concept of "learned helplessness" refers to a condition in which an individual, after repeatedly experiencing uncontrollable negative events, begins to believe that their actions have no effect on outcomes. This belief leads them to stop trying to change their situation, even when opportunities to do so later become available. Learned helplessness can develop in various contexts, such as work, school, or personal relationships, and often results in passivity, reduced motivation, and emotional distress.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic experiment. Researchers placed dogs in a chamber with a low barrier in the middle. One group of dogs was first subjected to mild electric shocks that they could not avoid—they had no way to stop the shocks regardless of what they did. After several trials, these dogs were placed in the chamber where they could easily jump over the barrier to escape the shocks. Surprisingly, most of these dogs did not even try to jump. They just lay down and whined, passively accepting the shocks. In contrast, another group of dogs that had never experienced uncontrollable shocks quickly learned to jump over the barrier to escape. The first group had learned that their actions were futile, so they gave up trying, even when escape was possible.