Seligman proposes that learned helplessness is most likely to develop in someone with
A) a difficult childhood.
B) high openness personality trait.
C) a pessimistic explanatory style.
D) behavioral engagement style.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Seligman's theory of learned helplessness suggests that people develop a sense of helplessness when they are exposed to uncontrollable negative events and they come to believe that they have no control over the outcomes. This belief can develop into a pessimistic explanatory style, where the individual attributes negative events to internal, stable, and global factors. Therefore, choice C, a pessimistic explanatory style, is the most likely factor that contributes to the development of learned helplessness.

Seligman Proposes That Learned Helplessness Is Most Likely to Develop