Pre-exposure to uncontrollable events interferes with subsequent learning of new behaviors. The present study investigated the role of instructions and of the exposure to controllability in reversing the effects of a history of uncontrollability. During training, college students were exposed to controllability (CC Group) or to uncontrollability (IC, ICi, II and Iii groups). During "therapy", the CC, IC and ICi groups were exposed to controllability while the II and IIi groups remained exposed to uncontrollability. An instruction on uncontrollability/controllability was given to the ICi and IIi groups. During testing, all groups were exposed to controllability. The participants exposed only to uncontrollability (II and IIi groups) showed greater response persistence than those exposed to "therapy" (IC and ICi groups) that did not differ from those exposed only to controllability (CC Group). The "therapy" procedure, then, was more effective than instructions in reversing the effects of a history of uncontrollability.
Learned helplessness; therapy; instruction
