INTRODUCTION
Organisms which have been
ineffective and less sensitive in determining the consequences of their
behaviour are defined as having learned helplessness.
Learned helplessness is the
condition of a human or animal that has learned to behave helplessly, failing
to response even though there are opportunities for it to help itself by
avoiding unpleasant circumstance or by gaining positive rewards.
According to (Dworetzky, 1994), learned
helplessness means giving up even though success is possible, because of
previous experience with situation in which success was not possible.
According to Gillian, it is a
condition in which a person or animal has come to believe that he or she is
helpless in a situation, when is not true.
The theory of learned helplessness
was conceptualized and developed by American psychologist Martin E.P. Seligman
at the university of pennsyvania in the late 1960’s and 70’s. while conducting
experimental research on classical conditioning Seligman inadvertently
discovered that dogs that had receive unavoidable electric shocks failed to
take action in subsequent situation, even those in which escape or avoidance
was in fact possible.
Since then learned helplessness
became a basic principle of behavioural theory, demonstrating that prior
learning can result in drastic change in behavior and seeking to explain why
individuals may accept and remain passive in negative situations despite their
clear ability to change them.
Seligman argues that, as a result of these negative
expectations, other consequences may accompany the inability or unwillingness
to act and this can seen in conditions like chronic failure, examination
malpractice, low self-esteem etc.
LITERATURE REVIEW
EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AS A PRODUCT OF
LEARNED HELPLESSNESS
Examination malpractice means illegal/unlawful acts
students indulge in to ensure success in their examinations.
It comprises of all forms of cheating which directly
or indirectly falsify the ability of the students or any involvement in all
illegal examination related offences.
Examination malpractice is also an
illegal behavior by a candidate before, during and after the examination so
that he/she can attain success easily and cheaply. Examples of examination malpractice are
exchanging question/answer sheets, coping from textbooks etc.
Causes
of Examination Malpractice
1.
Laziness,
inadequate preparations for exams
2.
Pupils not taking
their studies serious
3.
parents
involvement etc.
learned help helplessness can be said or seems to
contribute to the rate of many students indulging in examination malpractice.
It makes students believe that their
behaviour does not control outcomes or result e.g. a student who thinks “no matter how hard I study I will
not pass. This is because the students even after his efforts last year still
failed.
It can also be said that students
who tries but failed, learn to be helplessness during examinations and so to
pass indulge in examination malpractice or employ ”Mercenaries” to enhance
success.
METHODOLOGY
Experimental
In an experiment 1 a Lecturer called
20 of his students and divided them into groups of ten students each namely
group A and B. this was to determine how learned helplessness make students
indulge in examination malpractice.
Group
A was given a puzzle that can’t be solved due to missing pieces. Group B were
given puzzle with complete pieces. The students in the first group (group A)
worked and reworked the puzzle but could not find any possible way to complete
them. Frustration results in the group. The second group (group B) did their
own fas and submitted.
After the Lecturer had tried this
three times, the 4th time he gave the whole group the same puzzle,
he gave to the second group (group B). But those in the first group instead of
trying to solve it looked at it and then dropped it. Those in the second group
did it.
Finally,
the lecturer decided to award 20 marks to any group than solve the puzzle. And
so for those in the first group (group A) to get their marks they offered to
pay those in the second group to help them solve the puzzle.
This shows that the students in the
first group
(group
A) became helpless and so decided to cheat to pass.
CONCLUSION
As a result of depression and to
avoid chronic failure in examination even after studying, students are often
helpless and thereby, engage in examination malpractice to enhance their
success.
REFERENCE
Seligman,
M.E.P (1973). Fall into helplessness. Psychology
today,
7,43.48.
Miller,
W.R. and Seligman M.E.P (1975),
Depression and
learned helplessness in man. Journal abnormal
psychology, 84,228-238.
Klein,
D.C. and Seligman, M. E.P (1976) reversal of
performance deficits and perceptual deficits in
learned helplessness and depression. Journal of abnormal psychology.
Klein,
D.C, Fenal-Morse, E, and Seligman, M.E.P (1976).
Learned helplessness depression and the attribution of
failure. Journal of personality and social psychology.