Learned helplessness

Overview

Global and specific learned helplessness, how it develops, Seligman, its effects on performance, participation and emotions, the need to avoid failure, self-efficacy, the netball shooter who stops shooting, and prevention and recovery.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

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1. 1

   What is learned helplessness?

   Model answer

   Learned helplessness is the belief that failure is inevitable and beyond the performer's control. The belief develops after repeated failure.

2. 2

   How does learned helplessness develop?

   Model answer

   Repeated failure is put down to internal, stable causes such as low ability. The performer comes to believe that effort makes no difference.

3. 3

   What is global learned helplessness?

   Model answer

   Global learned helplessness is the belief that one will fail at all sports. A pupil who says they are useless at every sport shows it.

4. 4

   What is specific learned helplessness?

   Model answer

   Specific learned helplessness is the belief that one will fail at a particular skill or sport. A basketball player may believe she can never make a free throw.

5. 5

   Who first described learned helplessness?

   Model answer

   Seligman first described learned helplessness in the 1960s. Seligman's animals stopped trying to escape after repeated shocks they could not control.

6. 6

   How does learned helplessness affect performance?

   Model answer

   The performer stops trying and avoids challenging situations. Effort, persistence and performance all decline.

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