This study examines the perceptions of self in two groups of adults with literacy difficulties. The methodologies used include interviews, the repertory grid, Eysenck' s Personality Inventory (E.P.I.), Levenson's I.P.C. and self report questions. The interviews build on, and extend, work carried out by Charnley (1973), the only PhD to date, in the field. of adult literacy. The research pioneers the use of the repertory grid. technique in studies of adults with literacy difficulties. The theoretical framework for the thesis is the Learned Helplessness model (Seligman, 1975) and its reformulation (Abramson, et al, 1978). Learned helplessness can impede learning by affecting self esteem negatively and inhibiting cognitive, emotional, and motivational development. The study seeks to establish (among other perceptions of self) whether respondents exhibit signs of learned helplessness. The findings include a tendency for the sample to score more highly on neuroticism, as measured by the E.P.I., than the general population established by Eysenck. All the respondents consider there had been an improvement in their literacy skills. The majority viewed the ':present self' less negatively than the 'self prior to tuition', as shown by the former being rated nearer than the latter to the ideal self on the repertory grid. A minority were deemed to show continuing Learned Helplessness as evidenced by their attributions for literacy failure given in the self report questions, the locus of control orientations on Levenson's I.P.C. Scale and continuing negative perceptions of self on the repertory grid. This continued learned helplessness, despite improved literacy skills, has implications for the tutors adults with literacy-difficulties. These implications are discussed. Teaching strategies which could be adopted to overcome learned helplessness are outlined in the final chapter.

Previous research has shown benefits of adolescents' disclosure of activities to parents in reducing risk of deviant child behavior (Kerr & Stattin, 2000; Stattin & Kerr, 2000). In the current study I examine the effect of disclosure on learned helpless attributions, through the mediators of paternal, maternal, and peer support in sample of college undergraduates enrolled in psychology classes. In two online data collection points, participants completed measures on peer, paternal, and maternal support, disclosure, and negative attributions. In order to examine associations among these variables, I tested three general models: 1) disclosure would predict negative attributions through support, 2) support would predict negative attributions through disclosure, and 3) support would moderate the relations between disclosure and learned helpless attributions. Results demonstrated interrelations of disclosure with peer, maternal, and paternal support. Disclosure, peer support, and maternal support were negatively correlated with learned helpless attributions. However, the first and second models were not supported. The third model was partially supported in regard to maternal support. When maternal support was low, greater disclosure was associated with greater learned helpless attributions. Future longitudinal and experimental research is needed to further discern pathways of association for these constructs. / Master of Science

Avoidance is behaviour that prevents or postpones the occurrence of an aversive stimulus; whereas, escape is behaviour that terminates an aversive stimulus. There are two types of avoidance, both of which prevent an aversive stimulus from occurring. Standard avoidance involves a warning stimulus that predicts an aversive stimulus, reinforced by the termination of the warning stimulus. Alternatively, Sidman or free-operant avoidance does not include a warning stimulus and it is unknown what the exact reinforcing properties are that maintain it. Previous research has found that Betta splendens (Siamese fighting fish) may not engage in Sidman avoidance whereas other fish species including Carassius auratus (goldfish) do. The present study looked at whether Betta splendens could be taught Sidman avoidance when water disturbance is the aversive stimulus, by prompting the fish to emit the avoidance response of crossing over between the two sides of an experimental tank in 30second intervals, and reinforcing the behaviour with a mirror. Results showed an increase in the frequency of independent (i.e., unprompted) crossovers between the sides of the experimental tank resulting in avoidance of water disturbance, an aversive stimulus for these fish. The increase in responding was maintained for one of the three subjects when reinforcement was removed, suggesting that this species can learn Sidman avoidance. / May 2016

Thesis advisor: Carolyn Thomas / A quasi-experimental study was done to investigate the relative influence of running on the self-esteem and attributional styles of a group of 623 women in Boston. Volunteers from the participants in the 1983 Bonne Bell 10K race formed the runners group while the two control groups, athletic non-runners and non-athletic women, were composed of volunteers randomly self-selected from among patrons in various Boston service organizations. Study participants were tested using Seligmans Attribution Style Questionnaire (1981) and Hudson's Index of Self-Esteem (1982). Results of the ASQ showed that the women who ran consistently tended to have a more internal than external locus of control and had an attributional style associated with an empowered sense of self. Results of the ISE showed that women who run consistently have a significantly higher level of self-esteem than do either the women who are athletic but who do not run or the non-athletic women, with the non-athletic women scoring with lower self-esteem than the athletic non-runners. On a subjective rating for degree of happiness, the consistent runners scored significantly higher than those women in the control groups. Both clinical and policy implications of these findings were discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 1987. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

This study aimed at examining the association between perfectionism and helpless explanatory style as a function of gender in a Turkish university sample. The sample consisted of 331 undergraduate students from 35 departments of Middle East Technical University. Turkish version of Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS, Oral, 1999) and Depressive Attribution Style Questionnaire (DASQ, Aydin, 1988a) were used to collect data. Factor analysis was employed to the MPS scores to investigate the dimensions of perfectionism as perceived by the participants. MANOVA was conducted to examine a possible relationship between perfectionism and helpless explanatory style as a function of gender. Results of the factor analysis revealed four factors, termed self-oriented, socially prescribed, other-oriented perfectionism, and perfectionist expectations. With regard to the results of the MANOVA no significant associations emerged between perfectionism and helpless explanatory style as a function of gender.

To determine if learned helplessness treatment debilitates human working memory and fluid intelligence, 60 university students, classified as high or low self-monitors, were assigned to one of three treatments: intermittent (50%) controllable positive feedback, uncontrollable (yoked) negative feedback, and no treatment. Test tasks included backward digit and backward spatial span (representing working memory), matrices (representing fluid intelligence), vocabulary (representing crystallized intelligence), and forward digit and forward spatial span (representing immediate span of apprehension). Results generally were not significant and were discussed as possibly due to ineffective treatment procedure. Further research on this topic is needed.

Across any group of gifted students in any school there will always be a range of academic and other achievements. It is when these achievements are compared with measures of potential and the expectations of teachers and parents that a gifted child can sometimes be declared an underachiever. The 37 gifted students taking part in this study ranged in academic achievement from high achievers to underachievers. In part one of the study a questionnaire approach was used to measure their locus of control (LOC) and learned helplessness (LH) orientations and their tendency towards resilience or vulnerability. These students were also assessed as to their choice of performance or learning goals; effort or ability attributions for success; and the fixed or flexible nature of intelligence. The results of these investigations were then compared with the expectations of their teachers and their academic performance in recent examinations. None of the factors were found to yield consistent correlation with either expectations or academic achievements. Both high achievers and underachievers were found at all measures of all variables. In part two, a phenomenographic enquiry was undertaken by interview, to investigate the students' reactions to the twin phenomena of success and failure. LOC, LH and resilience/vulnerability were controlled for in this part of the study and the sample group chosen for interview (10 students) included both high achievers and underachievers. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed one characteristic which consistently differentiated between the underachievers and the high achievers. This was the reaction to failure. Consistently across the sample, irrespective of their LOC, LH and resilience orientations, the students achieving at the highest level were found to display an efficacious, learn-from-mistakes attitude to failure and the underachieving students displayed unhelpful reactions to failure ranging from denial to avoidance to helplessness. The terms failing well and failing badly were used to describe these two clusters of reactions. Learning to fail well, is proposed as one mechanism to help gifted underachievers improve their academic performance. This study adds to existing understandings in that its findings are contrary to much published literature and its conclusions appears to provide a new perspective on the characteristics of the gifted underachiever.

Abstract The aim with this study is to deepen the knowledge about what leaders in the Scouts think about their methods for learning and understanding the delicacy of nature and social life, helplessness versus initiative, and if they think that learning outdoors affects sustainable thinking and living in any way. I think the topic of my aim is important when it is about kids and a sustainable future, furthermore, there has not been specially much research done in this topic, especially not in  the Scouts. I decided to do a qualitative study where I use thematic analysis to analysis the findings. The first thought the Scout leaders seems to have, is that what they do need to be sustainable if it shall work as they want. The findings also show that the Scout leaders use special tools in their work with the kids, some of their tools are, learning by doing, situational leadership, and discussions, they use the tools on a ground of good values with nature as workspace, clasroom, and Livingroom. I am happily surprised that the findings show that the Scout leaders in a remarkable way care for the children to grow from the inside and out in a sustainable way. I can see in the findings that the Scout leaders are sure that children first need to have a certain level of sustainable feelings about themselves before they can connect with nature which is a must before they can start caring about it. This thesis shows the core of what the Scout leaders think of their work, and hopefully it can help the Scout leaders, but also others to handle the young in a more sustainable way, that helps the young to a more sustainable life.When I do not find any earlier research about this study´s specific topic my wish is that this study will add knowledge to the area of research, about how to increase the sustainable life for the young so they in turn have a chance to make society more sustainable.

The Coping Competence Questionnaire (CCQ), based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, was designed to assess a general stress resistance versus a propensity towards learned helplessness with a brief, 12-item self-report questionnaire. In this study the CCQ was administered to 247 undergraduate students, who were then paired, in groups of around 24 at a time, and then randomly assigned to either success or failure conditions on the computer game TetraVex. Mood was pretested using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) depression subscale; the experimental condition, success or failure at TetraVex was conducted; then outcome measures including 20 five letter anagrams to test performance and a posttest of the POMS depression subscale testing mood were administered. The first n = 80 participants were administered the anagrams then POMS; then the next n = 167 participants completed the POMS then anagrams. Findings indicate helplessness was induced. A statistically significant main effect of group was found for both performance and mood measures, suggesting those who were exposed to success on the TetraVex puzzles performed better on the anagrams and had lower levels of depressed mood than those who were exposed to failure. A statistically significant main effect of CCQ on mood, indicating high CCQ scores were correlated with better mood, was also found. Three way interactions of CCQ, group, and the order in which the outcome measures were administered suggested that when performance was measured first, the CCQ moderated the relationship between performance outcomes and group in the predicted direction, but when mood was measured first no interaction between performance and group resulted. Additionally, when mood was measured first, the mood effects were greater; however, coping competence, as measured by the CCQ, was inadequate to immediately overcome the frustration induced in the treatment group by TetraVex failure.

Experimental examination of the generality of learned helplessness has previously been confined to treatment and tests employing aversive motivators, such as electric shock. In the present study, rats were used to evaluate the effect of inescapable shock on their performance in a water test of competitive dominance which employs no aversive motivator. The subjects were paired and pre-tested for competitive dominance. In the experimental groups one member of each pair was treated with inescapable shock and the pairs were then post-tested for competitive dominance either 48, 72, or 168 hours after treatment. The control subjects were pre- and post-tested with no treatment intervening. Competitive dominance ranks were assigned to subjects after each test. Rank differences from pre- to post-test were analyzed for treated and control subjects. Controls showed no shifts in dominance from pre- to post-test, while significant shifts toward subordination appeared in all three experimental groups. No treated subjects showed shifts toward dominance. Significant pre- to post-test differences in drinking time were produced in all treatment groups, with the greatest difference at 72 hours after treatment. These results parallel those of Glazer and Weiss (1976) for escape time latencies at different times of posttreatment testing. The results of the present study, in contrast to those of Glazer and Weiss, cannot be accounted for by the principles of stimulus control. Instead, they support the claim of Maier and Seligman (1976) for considerable generality to the effect of learned helplessness, though the generality observed in this study is not explained by current principles of learning theory.