Learned Helplessness and Induced Inability

Learned Helplessness can be easily seen in a research study when participants are given a math test. In this study, some participants are told, “men don’t tend to do well on this test,” or “Millennials seem to always fail this test.” In the control group, no demographic is highlighted as doing well or poorly. 

Y’all, it is just a regular math test. 

But when people are told that a demographic they belong to tends to do badly, they do badly. When this happens out of a controlled environment and a person is repeatedly told “you are worthless,” “You can’t do this on your…