Learned Helplessness Theory has been studied in academic achievements during two decades. M. Seligman(1967) has theorized that instrumental responses emitted by the subject have no effect on the environment. The learned helplessness phenomenon is claimed to produce deficits in motivation, cognition and affect which results in various performance deficits in subjects exposed to situations designed to produce leaned helpessness.
The learned helplessness phenomenon is described as follows : ⑴ Motivational-the incentive to initiate voluntary responses in a traumatic situation wanes as the expectation that responding will produce relief is diminished; ⑵ Cognitive disturbance in the form of proactive interference occurs in which the subject is unable to perceive that the parameters of the learning environment have shifted from those of uncontrollability to controllability (e. g., from a noncontingent to a contingent setting) ; and ⑶ Emotional-a heightened state of fear or emotionality occurs which dissipates with control, or wanes into apathy / depression of the subject is repeatedly exposed to uncontrollable events(Monaco, 1987).
In this study, I want to investigate ⑴ the relation of learned helplessness and student's academic scores; ⑵ the learned helplessness factors and the 11 subjects in high school. The method is processed by SPSS package(n=460, M:200, F:260).
The findings are ⑴ Learned helplessness has negative effect to academic scores(r=―. 27). It indicates that the higher the student's learned helplessness factors scores, the lower academic achievement. The high vs. low learned helplessness groups showed significant differences in academic scores. ⑵ Lack of self-confidence, lack of persistence, depression-negative cognition and passivity showed significant in academic scores. Other factors (self-control, lack of display and lack of responsibility) showed similar trend, though statistically not quite significant.