Helpless behavior

Abstract

In the present research, we investigated helpless behavior and the responses it elicits from others. Study One used the act-frequency approach to develop a self-report measure of prototypically helpless behaviors. In a sample of college students (n = 75), this measure was validated against ratings by others. Many of the prototypically helpless behaviors we identified were interpersonal in nature, implying that they entail dependency and perhaps manipulativeness. In Study Two, we asked young adult (n = 249) Ss how they responded to people who showed varying amounts of helplessness. The most frequent response was trying to help the helpless individual feel better. As the frequency of helpless behavior increased, people were less likely to try to make him or her feel better, less likely to go along with the helpless individual, more likely to become angry and more likely to ignore or avoid this individual. Implications of these results for applications of the learned helplessness model were discussed, in particular the need to be cautious in assuming that all instances of observed passivity are good examples of learned helplessness.