Learned

Helplessness

BY: DELANEY SHERIDAN

LEARNING TARGETS:

Students will be able to define learned helplessness
Students will be able to identify learned helplessness and strategies to combat it in the classroom

Introduction to Learned Helplessness

"THE MOMENT YOU GIVE UP, YOU'VE LEARNED TO BE HELPLESS"

Topic Introduction

In the YouTube video above, the narrator describes the overall concept of learned helplessness. In less than two minutes a thought provoking example is provided so that you (the viewer) can grapple with the idea of learned helplessness. With striking and colorful graphics that are easy to digest, the video continues to use the example of a baby elephant being tied to a post and growing up to believe that it can only go so far even when the tie is removed to mimic the experiment performed by Martin Seligman. The video comes to a close by linking the theory and experiment to self motivation and intrinsic thought.

Image Description: pictured above is an infographic which depicts some of the outcomes or effects of learned helplessness in children. These may include low self esteem, frustration, passivity, lack of effort and giving up.

PSYCHOLOGY TODAY DEFINITION: Learned helplessness occurs when an individual continuously faces a negative, uncontrollable situation and stops trying to change their circumstances, even when they have the ability to do so.

SIMPLIFIED DEFINITION: Learned helplessness is a concept that describes the experience of being held back by your own beliefs as it pertains to your capabilities

Example

Joey has had a hard time in math before. In the school years prior to this one he has struggled to understand content and now he is taking the SAT. Joey has decided that he is just not good at math no matter how hard he studies for the math section and once test day arrived, he felt a deep sense of failure when it came to the math portion. He sat and let the time tick by as he grazed over the questions and guessed without giving them a good shot.

COMBATING LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

Learned helplessness is nothing more than an obstacle to overcome and there are a handful of strategies to help you or your students move past their mental blocks and become more confident students.

The Power of Optimism

Optimism is most likely a term you are familiar with. The idea that the glass is half empty or half full and its all about how you look at it has been taught over and over again. Demonstrating optimism in the classroom will not only create a more positive learning environment but promote a love for learning in your students.

Examples

Instead of marking what's wrong on the test, mark what is right to encourage the learner to acknowledge what they did know instead of what they failed to get correct
Allow students to approach you with questions when they are struggling instead of giving them the answers (even better, get them to consult other students before they bring it to you)
emind your students that mistakes are not failures, they are stepping stones to success
promote a growth mindset within the classroom and redirect negative self talk! Their effort will always outweigh their abilities and every child is capable of gaining knowledge.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/avoiding-learned-helplessness-andrew-miller

CONTENT APPLICATION AND KNOWLEDGE: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Question 1: Learned helplessness is...

a. a disease or condition that must be diagnosed by a doctor

b. impossible to reverse

c. a belief held by a student or person that can be controlled and managed

d. just a lack of confidence

Question 2: Anna loves school but really struggles with taking tests. She says this is because she's a bad test taker and every time she receives her paper back she becomes visibly emotional and frustrated. Her teacher usually marks the wrong questions with a red marker and writes how many she got wrong at the top. What could Anna's teacher do to make receiving tests a more positive experience?

a. mark the right answers instead of the wrong answers

b. praise Anna on the answers she got right

c. write the overall score at the top of the paper as opposed to how many points she lost

d. all of the above

Answers 1: c, 2: d

SOURCES
Ginsburg, David. (2014, March 08). Unlearning Learned Helplessness. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-unlearning-learned-helplessness/2014/03

Miller, Andrew. (2015, May 11). Avoiding Learned Helplessness. edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/avoiding-learned-helplessness-andrew-miller

Practical Psychology. (2019, May 27). The HORRID Pain of Learned Helplessness (Video). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3a65C4kT-8

THE AWESOME LIFE. (n.d.). What is Learned Helplessness? (video). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Vuqvp2V7w

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