#separator:tab
#html:false
#notetype:Basic
#deck:Math::Learning to learn::Learned helplessness
#tags:math learning helplessness
#columns:Front	Back	Tags
#tags column:3
What is learned helplessness?	Not trying to escape a bad situation because trying failed before, even when escape is now possible (Seligman).	definition
Hiroto and Seligman 1975: what happened?	Students whose button could not stop a noise later did not try the lever that could; students whose button worked found it quickly.	experiment
Rule of succession	After s successes in n tries, estimate the chance of success as (s + 1) / (n + 2).	definition
Rule of succession after one failure	1/3, not 0.	trap
Rule of succession after ten failures in a row	1/12.	definition
Why does a helpless learner's belief never improve?	Evidence about trying comes only from trying; a belief that stops you trying cuts off the only evidence that could raise it.	trap
Is a helpless learner reasoning badly?	Not necessarily: the estimate can be right for their record. The record has stopped growing.	trap
Remedy one for helplessness, and why it works	Start small: a cheap step is worth trying at a low chance, and each success joins the record.	remedy
Remedy two for helplessness, and why it works	Watch someone similar succeed: their success is evidence, weighted by how like you they are.	remedy
The three Ps of pessimism	Personalization (my fault), pervasiveness (it spoils everything), permanence (it will always be so).	pessimism
Pervasiveness as bookkeeping	Filing a failure in one situation as evidence about every situation.	pessimism
Permanence as bookkeeping	Keeping old evidence at full weight for ever, as if the world could not change.	pessimism
What do A, B and C stand for in Ellis's ABC technique?	Antecedent (event), Belief (about yourself), Consequence (what you do).	definition
Flunked one biology exam: which belief does the evidence support?	I am not doing well on biology exams right now and could use help; not I am stupid.	remedy