Brenden is a student in Mrs.O'Donnell's high school algebra class.He barely passed math last year and knows he won't be able to succeed in algebra.He says he doesn't have the brains to do math no matter how much he works at it.The teacher offers to help him after school,but Brenden says it won't help.He's tried tutors before.Brenden's beliefs about himself illustrate:
A)controllable causes of failure.
B)an incremental view of intelligence.
C)an unstable view of ability.
D)learned helplessness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Brenden's belief that he doesn't have the brains to do math no matter how much he works at it is an example of learned helplessness, which is the belief that one's actions have no effect on the outcomes and that failure is inevitable. Brenden has given up on trying to improve his math skills because he believes they are fixed and cannot be changed.

Brenden Is a Student in Mrs