Abstract
To explore the effects of perceived self-efficacy upon the elimination of learned helplessness, 24 college students participated in the experiment as subjects. Ss were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions. At first, 20 unsolvable anagram tasks were given to all Ss with electric shock and all Ss were regarded as being in a learned helplessness state after 20 trials. Then Ss in EHS condition engaged in 20 solvable anagram tasks with verbal feedback about their emotional arousal and correctness of their task performance, all this while they estimated their self-efficacy to the task. In EH condition, Ss engaged in solvable anagram tasks with no feedback information and no estimation of self-efficacy. In the control OH condition, Ss were given only unsolvable tasks with electric shock all through the trials. Main results were as follows: (1) information about performance attainment were main sources of increase of perceived self-efficacy and motivation and were effective to modify the learned helplessness state, (2) verbal feedback information were not so effective to increase perceived self-efficacy and motivation, (3) verbal feedback information about emotional arousal caused the stability of fluctuation of volume pulse wave. The results of this study were discussed within the framework of social learning theory.
