什么是“习得性无助”以及产生原因

Original 心理探寻 Psychology心理探寻 Today

目录

何为“习得性无助”

“习得性无助”的发现

人类中的“习得性无助”

“解释风格”的作用

儿童中的“习得性无助”

“习得性无助”对精神健康的影响

克服“习得性无助”

When bad things happen, we like to believe that we would do whatever necessary to change the situation. Research on what is known as learned helplessness has shown that when people feel like they have no control over what happens, they tend to simply give up and accept their fate.

当不好的事情发生时，我们喜欢相信我们会竭尽所能去改变现状。但“习得性无助”相关研究显示：当人们觉得事情已超出自己控制范围时，常常会选择放弃、认命。

◆◆What Is Learned Helplessness?

何为“习得性无助”？◆◆

Learned helplessness occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus that it cannot escape. Eventually, the animal will stop trying to avoid the stimulus and behave as if it is utterly helpless to change the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this learned helplessness will prevent any action.

当一个动物持续受到某种不良刺激，且无法逃避，最终，该动物就会停止逃避，而且表现出“完全无力改变当前情形”的行为。甚至当有逃脱机会出现时，这种“习得性无助”也会阻止它们采取任何行动。

While the concept is strongly tied to animal psychology and behavior, it can also apply to many situations involving human beings.

尽管这一概念与动物心理学和行为高度密切相关，但同时也适用于很多与人类相关的情形。

When people feel that they have no control over their situation, they may begin to behave in a helpless manner. This inaction can lead people to overlook opportunities for relief or change.

当人们感到他们对某种情形无法控制时，他们可能就会开始表现出无助行为。这种“不作为”可能就会导致人们忽视可以解脱或改变的种种机会。

◆◆The Discovery of Learned Helplessness

“习得性无助”的发现◆◆

The concept of learned helplessness was discovered accidentally by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven F. Maier. They had initially observed helpless behavior in dogs that were classically conditioned to expect an electrical shock after hearing a tone.

这一概念由心理学家 Martin Seligman 和 Steven F. Maier 偶然发现。他们最初发现“习得性无助”是在一些狗身上。这些狗经过经典条件反射训练，当听到一段音乐后，会知道接下来会被电击。

*经典条件反射 (又称巴甫洛夫条件反射),是指一个刺激和另一个带有奖赏或惩罚的无条件刺激多次联结，可使个体学会在单独呈现该一刺激时，也能引发类似无条件反应的条件反应。经典条件反射最著名的例子是巴甫洛夫的狗的唾液条件反射。经典条件反射具有获得、消退、恢复、泛化四个特征，它与操作性条件反射既有区别，又有相似之处。

Later, the dogs were placed in a shuttlebox that contained two chambers separated by a low barrier. The floor was electrified on one side, and not on the other. The dogs previously subjected to the classical conditioning made no attempts to escape, even though avoiding the shock simply involved jumping over a small barrier.

之后，这些狗被放入一个穿梭箱内，箱内被中间一道很矮的屏障隔成两个空间。箱底一侧通电，一侧未通电。之前接受过经典条件反射训练的狗们完全没有尝试逃脱，尽管只要跳过一个小小的屏障到另一边，就可以免受电击。

To investigate this phenomenon, the researchers then devised another experiment.

为了调查这一现象，研究人员们设计了另外一个实验。

* In group one, the dogs were strapped into harnesses for a period of time and then released.

一组狗被绑起来一段时间，然后放掉。

* The dogs in the second group were placed in the same harnesses but were subjected to electrical shocks that could be avoided by pressing a panel with their noses.

第二组狗也使用同样的束缚工具被绑起来，但会经受电击，但它们可以用鼻子按一个面板来避免电击；

* The third group received the same shocks as those in group two, except that those in this group were not able to control the shock. For those dogs in the third group, the shocks seemed to be completely random and outside of their control.

第三组狗也与第二组狗一样会经受电击，但不同之处在于，第三组狗无法控制电击。对第三组狗而言，电击是完全随机，且不受它们控制的。

The dogs were then placed in a shuttlebox. Dogs from the first and second group quickly learned that jumping the barrier eliminated the shock. Those from the third group, however, made no attempts to get away from the shocks. Due to their previous experience, they had developed a cognitive expectation that nothing they did would prevent or eliminate the shocks.

之后将这些狗放入穿梭箱。前两组狗很快就学会通过跳过中间屏障来躲避电击，但第三组狗却根本不尝试躲避电击。由于它们之前的经历，它们已经形成了一种认知预期：它们不管做什么都无法避免遭受电击。

◆◆Learned Helplessness in People

人类中的习得性无助◆◆

The impact of learned helplessness has been demonstrated in different animal species, but its effects can also be seen in people.

习得性无助的影响已表现在不同动物种类中，但同时也见诸人类。

Consider one often-used example: A child who performs poorly on math tests and assignments will quickly begin to feel that nothing he does will have any effect on his math performance. When later faced with any type of math-related task, he may experience a sense of helplessness.

想一下一个常用的例子：一个数学测试和作业常常成绩很差的孩子，很快就会觉得他无论做什么都不会提高他的数学成绩。之后当再遇到与数学相关的任何类型的任务时，他就会经历一种无助感。

Learned helplessness has also been associated with several different psychological disorders. Depression, anxiety, phobias, shyness, and loneliness can all be exacerbated by learned helplessness.

习得性无助也与数种心理障碍有关。抑郁、焦虑、恐惧、羞涩和孤独等，都可能会因习得性无助而恶化。

For example, a woman who feels shy in social situations may eventually begin to feel that there is nothing she can do to overcome her symptoms. This sense that her symptoms are out of her direct control may lead her to stop trying to engage herself in social situations, thus making her shyness even more pronounced.

例如，一位在社交场合中感到羞涩的女性可能最后会觉得她无论如何都无法克服自己的症状。“症状超出自己的直接控制范围”这种认知，会导致她放弃参加社交场合，从而使其害羞特征更加强化。

Researchers have found, however, that learned helplessness does not always generalize across all settings and situations. A student who experiences learned helpless with regards to math class will not necessarily experience that same helplessness when faced with performing calculations in the real world. In other cases, people may experience learned helplessness that generalizes across a wide variety of situations.

但研究人员发现，习得性无助并非总是普遍存在于所有场合情形。在数学课上经历习得性无助的一位学生，在现实生活中进行计算时，并不一定也会经历习得性无助。而有时候，有的人的习得性无助则会普遍存在于众多不同情形。

◆◆The Role of Explanatory Styles

“解释风格”的作用◆◆

So what explains why some people develop learned helplessness and others do not? Why is it specific to some situations but more global in others?

那么，为什么有的人会形成习得性无助，而有的人却不会呢？为什么有时候只针对特定情形，有时候则普遍存在于多种情形中呢？

Many researchers believe that attribution or explanatory styles play a role in determining how people are impacted by learned helplessness. This view suggests that an individual's characteristic style of explaining events helps determine whether or not they will develop learned helplessness.

很多研究人员认为，在决定习得性无助对人们的影响程度方面，归因或解释风格起到了一定作用。该观点认为，一个个体在解释事物方面的特有风格，在一定程度上会决定他是否会形成习得性无助。

A pessimistic explanatory style is associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing learned helplessness. People with this explanatory style tend to view negative events as being inescapable and unavoidable and tend to take personal responsibility for such negative events.

消极解释风格会导致个体更可能经历习得性无助。采用这种解释风格的人易于将负面事件视为不可避免、无法逃脱，而且常常会认为是自身原因导致了这些负面事件的发生。

◆◆Learned Helplessness in Children

儿童中的习得性无助◆◆

Learned helpless often originates in childhood, and unreliable or unresponsive caregivers can contribute to these feelings. This learned helplessness can begin very early in life. Children raised in institutionalized settings, for example, often exhibit symptoms of helplessness even during infancy.

习得性无助通常起始于童年时期。不可靠或冷漠的照顾者也会是形成原因之一。这种习得性无助可以在人生很早阶段就形成。比如，在收容机构中长大的孩子，通常甚至在婴儿时期就已经表现出无助。

When children need help but no one comes to their aid, they may be left feeling that nothing they do will change their situation. Repeated experiences that bolster these feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can result in growing into adulthood ultimately feeling that there is nothing one can do to change his or her problems.

当孩子需要帮助，但却没人帮忙时，他们可能就会感到他们无法改变当前情形。倘若这种经历重复发生，则会增强无助和无望感，从而最终在成年后，感到他无论如何都无法改变自己所面临的问题。

Some common symptoms of learned helplessness in children include:

孩子中习得性无助的一些常见症状包括：

Low self-esteem/自卑Passivity/消极被动Poor motivation/无主动性Giving up/放弃Lack of effort/不努力Frustration/挫败Procrastination/拖延Failure to ask for help/不求助

Learned helplessness can also result in anxiety, depression, or both. When kids feel that they've had no control over the past events of their lives, they gain the expectation that future events will be just as uncontrollable. Because they believe that nothing they do will ever change the outcome of an event, kids are often left thinking that they should not even bother trying.

习得性无助也可能会导致焦虑、抑郁或二者兼有。当孩子们感到他们对人生中过去发生的事件都无法控制时，他们就会感觉未来的事件也同样会无法控制。因为他们相信他们无论如何都无法改变事情结果，因此通常会觉得他们根本就不应该去尝试。

Academic struggles can often lead to feelings of learned helplessness. A child who makes an effort to do well but still does poorly may end up feeling that he has no control over his grades or performance. Since nothing he does seems to make any difference, he will stop trying and his grades will suffer even more. Such problems can also affect other areas of the child's life. His poor performance in school can make him feel that nothing he does is right or useful, so he may lose the motivation to try in other areas of his life as well.

学业上的困难通常会导致习得性无助感。一个孩子努力想要做好，但依旧结果糟糕，可能就会感到自己对分数或成绩根本无法控制。由于他无论做什么都不会带来改变，他就会停止尝试，成绩可能会进一步滑坡。这类问题也可能会影响到孩子生活中的其他领域。他糟糕的学校表现可能会让他觉得自己做什么都是错的，都是没用的，从而就可能导致他在生活其他领域也懒得去尝试。

◆◆Learned Helplessness in Mental Health

习得性无助对精神健康的影响◆◆

Learned helplessness is thought to contribute to feelings of anxiety and may influence the onset, severity, and persistence of conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). When you experience chronic anxiety, you may eventually give up on finding relief because your anxious feelings seem unavoidable and untreatable. Because of this, people who are experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety or depression may refuse medications or therapy that may help relieve their symptoms.

习得性无助被认为会促使焦虑感产生，而且可能会影响到诸如广泛性焦虑症（GAD）的发病、严重程度和持久程度。当经历长期焦虑时，你可能最终会放弃寻找解决方法，因为你的焦虑感似乎无可避免、无法治疗。鉴于此，存在焦虑或易于等精神健康问题的人可能会拒绝接受可能有助于缓解他们症状的药物或心理咨询。

As people age, learned helplessness can become something of a vicious cycle. When encountering problems such as anxiety or depression, people may feel that nothing can be done to ease these feelings. People then fail to seek out options that may help which then contributes to greater feelings of helplessness and anxiety.

随着人们年龄渐增，习得性无助可能就会形成一种恶性循环。当遇到诸如焦虑或抑郁等问题时，人们可能就会觉得无论如何都无法缓解这些感觉。之后他们放弃寻找解决方案，从而会导致更强烈的无助和焦虑感。

◆◆Overcoming Learned Helplessness

克服习得性无助◆◆

So what can people do to overcome learned helplessness? Research suggests that learned helplessness can be successfully decreased, particularly if intervention occurs during early onset. Long-term learned helplessness can also be reduced, although it may require longer-term effort.

那么，人们如何能够克服习得性无助呢？研究显示，习得性无助可以被有效减弱，尤其当在早期就开始干预时。长期的习得性无助也可以被减弱，尽管这可能需要更长时间的努力。

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is form of psychotherapy that can be beneficial in overcoming the thinking and behavioral patterns that contribute to learned helplessness. The goal of CBT is to help patients identify negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of learned helplessness and then replace these thoughts with more optimistic and rational thoughts. This process often involves carefully analyzing what you are thinking, actively challenging these ideas, and disputing negative thought patterns.

认知行为疗法可有效克服习得性无助背后的思维和行为模式。认知行为疗法的目的是帮助患者认识到促使他们形成习得性无助感的负面思维模式，然后用更乐观和理性的思维去替代这些负面思维模式。这一过程中通常包括仔细分析当前想法、主动挑战这些想法，然后质疑负面思维模式。

Learned helplessness can have a profound impact on mental health and well-being. People who experience learned helplessness are also likely to experience symptoms of depression, elevated stress levels, and less motivation to take care of their physical health.

习得性无助对精神健康和幸福有着深远的影响。经历习得性无助的人也可能会表现出抑郁症状、高度压力水平，并且不大会主动关爱自己的身体健康。

Not everyone responds to experiences the same way. Some people are more likely to experience learned helplessness in the face of uncontrollable events, often due to biological and psychological factors. Children raised by helpless parents, for example, are also more likely to experience learned helplessness.

对于经历，并非每个人的反应都一样。面对不可控事件，有的人会更易于经历习得性无助，其原因通常可归于生理和心理因素。例如，由有无助感父母抚养大的孩子，更易于经历习得性无助。

If you feel that learned helplessness might be having a negative impact on your life and health, consider talking to your doctor about steps you can take to address this type of thinking. Further evaluation can lead to an accurate diagnosis and treatment that can help you replace your negative thought patterns with more positive ones. Such treatment may allow you to replace feelings of learned helplessness with a sense of learned optimism instead.

如果你感到习得性无助可能正在对你的生活和健康形成负面影响，那么可以考虑看医生，咨询对这种思维的应对措施。进一步的评估，可得到更精确的诊断和治疗，帮助你使用更积极的思维替代负面思维。这类治疗可以让你通过习得性乐观主义来替代习得性无助感。