| Abstract: | Reexamines experiments on learned helplessness that have been interpreted previously as involving a solitary person experiencing uncontrollable and inescapable events. It is suggested that the belief that the outcomes are uncontrollable precludes the possibility that control of the outcomes can be transferred to the experimental Ss. An alternative interpretation is that the outcomes in learned helplessness experiments, rather than being uncontrollable, are controlled by the experimenter. Helplessness could be reduced by transferring this control to Ss, giving them control over their contingencies. This analysis has implications regarding both the accuracy of depressed people's perceptions and the desirability of making depressed people perceive an internal locus of control. It is further suggested that depressed people should have more control over their contingencies. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
