The puzzle of learned helplessness

Have you ever wondered why an individual in an abusive marriage refuses to leave the marriage when given the option of doing so? or why an addict voluntarily refuses to sign up for a rehabilitation programme even though to everyone around him or her , there's a great chance that they can become clean provided they commit to the rehab programme?

These two classes of individuals seem to have resigned to fate that their situation or condition can never be changed or become better despite the fact that to others around them they have the potential to turning their lives around and rewriting the story of their lives.

The answer to this puzzling situation may lie in s psychological condition termed as learned helplessness. Some researchers have defined the condition or state as when an individual is unable or incapable of finding a solution out of a difficult situation even though the solution is accessible.

Other researchers described the condition as a state when an individual who has repeatedly faced with a difficult challenge or situation develops a mindset that no matter how much they try they cannot control the situation or alter the outcome or result hence they resort to not bothering to exert any effort even when opportunities become available for them to alter the outcome.

The condition was brought to the fore in 1967 when the duo of Professors Steven F. Maier and Seligman conducted behavioural experiments with dogs as the test subjects using methods best described as unethical as it pertains to animal rights and welfare.

They divided dogs into groups and exposed a certain group to electric shocks while not providing any means for them to avoid it. The results from the experiment were shocking. They reported that dogs who had been exposed to the electric shocks stopped trying to escape the source of the shocks altogether when they were subsequently exposed to the shocks even when they could press a lever to avoid it.

The researchers further subjected the theory of learned helplessness which was in its formative stages to human trials this time with loud noises in the place of electric shocks. The results obtained in the study were virtually identical to that of the trial involving dogs. Human test subjects who had no way of escaping the loud sounds in the first trials didn't bother attempting to exert effort to avoid them in subsequent trials even though a means to do so was available.

Symptoms of learned helplessness

Overtime as a result of research on this subject matter some symptoms have been observed to be possible indicators of learned helplessness. They include;

1. Low self esteem

2. Frustration

3. Lack of exertion

4. Passivity

5. Giving up easily

6. Absence of motivation 

Causes

The common culprits responsible for this condition include trauma, over and under parenting, child abuse and domestic violence

The way out

There's however light at the end of this seemingly pitch dark tunnel, just as the state or condition was learned it can also be reversed by the process of unlearning. The key to overcoming learned helplessness is mastering our responses to challenging situations in order words learning to control how we respond.

The moment we give in to despair irrespective of the magnitude of the challenge we're done for. Those that overcame the most challenging situations in their lives learnt to develop the attitude of facing the challenge head on with positive thinking and hoping for a good outcome.

Thank you for reading.