Learned helplessness is demonstrated in laboratory animals by
A)creating aversive stimuli (such as electrical shocks to the foot) that the animal can control.
B)creating aversive stimuli (such as electrical shocks to the foot) that the animal cannot control.
C)creating pleasant stimuli (such as a food pellet) that the animal cannot control.
D)creating pleasant stimuli (such as a food pellet) that the animal can control.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is a condition in which an animal or person learns to stop responding to adverse or painful situations, even when there is an opportunity to escape or avoid them. In laboratory experiments, animals are typically subjected to aversive stimuli, such as shocks, that they cannot control. Over time, the animals learn that they are unable to escape or avoid these stimuli and become passive and helpless. This is in contrast to animals who are able to control the aversive stimuli (choice A), as they do not develop learned helplessness. Pleasant stimuli, whether controllable or not, are not typically used in the context of learned helplessness experiments (choices C and D).

Learned Helplessness Is Demonstrated in Laboratory Animals by