Which term describes the feelings of helplessness that develop after exposure to situations in which no effort succeeds in affecting outcomes?

• A. Learned Helplessness
• B. Applied Behavior Analysis
• C. Biofeedback
• D. Observational Learning

Answer: (A)

This item centers on learned helplessness: a state that develops after repeated exposure to situations in which efforts to influence outcomes fail, so the person comes to believe that nothing they do will matter. That belief shifts motivation downward, leading to reduced effort and passive behavior, even when future situations are controllable. In other words, the experience of uncontrollable outcomes teaches a general expectation that actions won’t change results, which can generalize beyond the original situation.

For context, this concept helps explain why people might stop trying when outcomes seem fixed, and why cognitive expectations (like “I can’t do anything to fix this”) strongly influence what we do, not just what we think. It’s different from learned behavior change through reinforcement (where behavior is shaped by rewards or punishments), biophysical methods that track and influence bodily processes (biofeedback), or learning by observing others (observational learning).