Attribution theory: Learned helplessness.

The idea

Learned helplessness is a state in which a performer, after repeated failure, comes to believe that success is beyond their control and stops trying. In AQA A-level PE attribution theory, it develops when failure is attributed to stable, internal and uncontrollable causes such as lack of ability. A tennis player who loses several matches may decide they are simply not good enough and give up before the next match, even when improvement is possible. The opposite pattern, learned optimism, involves attributing failure to controllable and temporary causes such as insufficient effort or a poor tactic. Multiple-choice questions test the definition, the attribution pattern that causes it and strategies such as attribution retraining that can reduce it.

What earns the marks

• Defines learned helplessness as a belief that failure is inevitable and beyond personal control.
• Identifies the attribution pattern: stable, internal and uncontrollable causes, especially lack of ability.
• Explains the behavioural consequence: reduced effort, persistence and willingness to attempt challenging tasks.
• Contrasts learned helplessness with adaptive attributions to controllable causes such as effort or strategy.
• Links learned helplessness to attribution theory's categories: ability, effort, task difficulty and luck.
• States that attribution retraining can help a performer move from helplessness to more adaptive attributions.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Misunderstanding: learned helplessness is the same as low self-esteem.

  Put it right: It is a specific belief that outcomes are uncontrollable, which then reduces effort and persistence.

• Misunderstanding: learned helplessness happens after a single failure.

  Put it right: It develops after repeated failure attributed to stable, uncontrollable causes.

• Misunderstanding: learned helplessness is caused by attributing failure to lack of effort.

  Put it right: Effort is controllable, so that attribution usually protects motivation; helplessness is linked to uncontrollable causes such as lack of ability.

• Misunderstanding: learned helplessness cannot be changed.

  Put it right: Attribution retraining can help performers reattribute failure to controllable causes and rebuild persistence.

Exam tips

• Look for the key phrase 'no matter what I do' or 'nothing I do makes a difference' in the question stem, which signals learned helplessness.
• Check whether the attribution in an option is stable and uncontrollable; that pattern is the hallmark of learned helplessness.
• Do not choose options that describe a single emotional reaction such as disappointment; learned helplessness is a persistent belief affecting future effort.