HELPLESSNESS DEFICITS - EFFECTS OF AMOUNT OF PRETRAINING AND TEST TASK-DIFFICULTY

This experiment tested predictions drawn from a four-stage model proposed to account for reactions to noncontingency training. The model represents an integration of altered hypothesis pool theory (Levine, Rotkin, Jankovic, & Pitchford, 1977) and learned helplessness theory (Seligman, 1975), and basically predicts that as exposure to noncontingency continues, subjects alter their pool of potiential solutions towards hypotheses of greater complexity until a point is reached where all hypotheses have been discarded and helplessness results. In line with this proposal, the present experiment found that following brief noncontingency training, a learning deficit can be produced on an easy but not a difficult test task; following extended training learning is impaired on both easy and difficult test tasks.