Final answer:
Learned helplessness is the vicious cycle that occurs when trying to avoid stress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The vicious cycle that occurs when trying to avoid stress is called learned helplessness. It refers to the psychological consequence of lacking a sense of control over threatening or harmful events. This concept was illustrated in experiments where dogs who were subjected to inescapable electric shocks learned to passively accept the shocks and did not attempt to escape when given the opportunity.