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What is learned helplessness?

PsychologyLesson on requestFree to read

Quick answer

Learned helplessness is when repeated, unavoidable hardship teaches a person or animal to stop trying, even once escape becomes possible. Having learned that nothing they do matters, they give up — a pattern closely linked to depression. It develops after facing stress that seems uncontrollable.

Key things to understand

  1. It develops after facing stress that seems uncontrollable.
  2. The subject concludes their actions don't change outcomes.
  3. They stop trying even when conditions improve and escape is possible.
  4. It was first shown in classic animal experiments in the 1960s.
  5. It's closely tied to depression and low motivation in humans.

People also ask

What causes learned helplessness?
Repeated exposure to bad situations a person can't control teaches them that effort is pointless, so they stop trying even when they could now succeed.
How is learned helplessness related to depression?
The belief that nothing one does matters mirrors depressive thinking, and the concept became an influential model of how depression develops.
Can learned helplessness be unlearned?
Yes — experiencing control and success again, often with support or therapy, can rebuild the sense that one's actions make a difference.