Question

A researcher places dogs in a cage with metal bars on the floor. The dogs are randomly given electric shocks and can do nothing to prevent them or stop them. Later, the same dogs are placed in a cage where they can escape the shocks by jumping over a low hurdle. When the shocks are given, the dogs do not even try to escape. They just sit and cower. This is an example of ________.a.learned helplessness b.avoidance learning c.aversive conditioning d.vicarious learning

Answer 1

Learned helplessness

Explanation:

Learned helplessness is a phenomenon in which an aversion stimulus was given to a subject repetitively and subject stop trying to escape from the situation. Animals stop trying to escape and utterly demonstrate as cant help it. Even when opportunities are presented then also not try to escape. The researcher was done animals but somehow it applied to human beings too.

For example, when people feel that don't have control over their situation, they start to behave helplessly. learned helpless concept was given by positive psychologist Martin Saligman. He was found helpless behavior in dogs when they conditioned with an aversive stimulus.