Learned Helplessness in Children: Perception of Control and Causal Attributions

Abstract

The concept of learned helplessness is reviewed and its applicability to children critically evaluated. The development of helplessness is seen to be a function of the perception of uncontrollability and the nature of the causal attributions generated to explain the experienced lack of control. With children, uncontrollability has been operationalized primarily as the experience of failure. A review of selected studies from the developmental literature relevant to the perception of uncontrollability, to the experience of failure and to causal attribution indicates that in each instance cognitive-developmental factors tend to render the child relatively resistant to the development of helplessness. To the extent that young children experience the cognitively mediated phenomenon known as learned helplessness, the factors underlying it would seem to be different from those operative in adults. In order to be applied productively to young children, helplessness theory will require further revision along cognitive-developmental lines.