Define learned helplessness, and explain how one's attributions affect helplessness and how instilling hope can alleviate this condition

What will be an ideal response?

Answer will include that learned helplessness is a learned inability to overcome obstacles or to avoid punishment. Where humans are concerned, attributions have a large effect on helplessness. Persons who are made to feel helpless in one situation are more likely to act helpless in other situations if they attribute their failure to lasting, general factors. In contrast, attributing a failure to specific factors tends to prevent learned helplessness from spreading. The value of hope should not be overlooked. It is a powerful antidote to depression and helplessness. A technique known as mastery training has been shown to be effective. In mastery training, responses are reinforced that lead to mastery of a threat or control over one's environment. Thus, people can
be "immunized" against helplessness if they develop hope and skills to master difficult
situations.