In order to investigate sex-role identity and learned helplessness as possible mediating factors affecting performance on formal operational tasks, the responses of 60 male and female adolescents were assessed. Contrary to expectations, the performances of individuals with feminine versus masculine sex roles did not differ significantly.…

Explored prevention of learned helplessness through the use of thermal biofeedback training and varied explanations of performance. It was found that only in the biofeedback group receiving accurate feedback was there any prevention of the subsequent development of learned helplessness behavior. (Author)

This study tested the learned helplessness theory, stress theory, and a modified stress theory to determine the best model for predicting the probability that a woman would seek help when she experienced severe violence from a male partner. The probability was hypothesized to increase as the stress of the violence experienced increased. Data were…

Investigations of the reformulated learned helplessness model of depression have produced conflicting results. To contrast the attributional responses of clinically depressed men and women, data were collected from 117 psychotherapy clinic outpatients. An expanded version of the Attribution Style Questionnaire was administered. Forty people…

Assessed whether experimentally induced learned helplessness on a cognitive training task generalized to a situationally dissimilar social interaction test task. No significant differences were observed between groups on the subsequent test task, showing that helplessness failed to generalize. (Author/ABB)

Four experiments used a common set of procedures to investigate the occurrence and the generalization of learned helplessness and latent inhibition in 10- to 11-year-old children. (MP)

The role of beliefs in expected unchangeability of life stress (EU) was studied in a sample of 194 elderly persons with economic and/or health problems and a control group. The research model integrated different approaches to cognitive theories of adjustment to aging. (Author/CM)

Evaluates whether anxiety, event valence and demographic variables influence relationship between helplessness and depression. Results showed: adolescents with anxiety and depression from lower socioeconomic backgrounds made less helpless attributions for negative events; and African-American adolescents showed less helpless attributions for…

Tested reformulated learned helplessness theory of depression with adolescent inpatients (N=63) diagnosed as depressed, conduct disordered, or both. Adolescents with major depressive diagnosis differed from nondepressed adolescents with significantly lower attributional style scores for positive events. Subjects who reported more severe depression…

Tested relation between attributions and types of depression postulated by reformulated learned helplessness theory versus an alternative in undergraduate college students (N=334). Results suggest inclusion of types of depression modestly increases support for one of hypotheses of reformulated theory but makes more questionable previously untested…

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which intimate partner violence and different forms of child maltreatment occur within and across childhood and adulthood for a high-risk group of women. Method: Low-income adult women were interviewed, retrospectively, regarding their experiences with intimate partner violence and…

Historically, most investigations of the social and psychological effects of disaster have focused on describing the impact of single traumatic events rather than on developing an understanding of how disasters or particular characteristics of disasters affect various groups of victims. This study investigated the hypothesis that stress caused by…

Perry and Dickens (1984) found that noncontingent-trained students perceived they had less control and manifested a helpless attribution profile compared to contingent-trained students in a simulated college classroom. To examine the effects of varying amounts of noncontingent success on students' perceived control and attributions, 90 students at…

Sixteen "helpless" learning disabled students (grades four to five) assigned to an attribution training group demonstrated greater reading persistence and showed significant increases in effort attributions for failure as well as more internal attributions for achievement situations when compared to Ss in the control group. Treatment gains for…

Examined the relationship of helplessness, locus of control, depression, and voluntary participation in therapy. Results confirmed the relationship between helplessness, locus of control, and depression and suggested patients with greater degrees of helplessness were less likely to take an active role in treatment. (JAC)