Application of Learned Helplesnness

An example of learned Helplessness in the real world is the training of animals. Seligmans's theory is applied in modifiying animal behavior. Animal trainers use learned helplessness on circus animals like tigers and elephants for this animals to be more suitable for control. A strong and huge animal like the elephant is capable of escaping the circus whenever it wants. Have you ever wondered why it does not escape?

It is because this elephants are trained even when thay are little. Elephants are chained to a big iron ball to prevent the elphant to escape. This feeling of helplessness grows inside the elephant. The animal will try to escape but it will fail due to the weight. The elephant will grow thinking it is uncapable of breaking the chain even though a full grown up elephant could easily break its oppresion. So the elephant is now conditioned not to escape because it has learned he is helpless against its enviroment.

Example of Learned Helplessness

Example of Learned Helplessness

A common example of learned helplessness occurs repeatdly at school. Students at school are free to leave their seats and go to the bathroom. Most students realize that by leaving the classroom without consent brings consequences and punishment. Stuendts learn that the best thing to do is stay in the classroom. Learned helplessness then is applied and students feel they have no control of their enviroment, giving teachers a form of mainting control.