Validating the Learned Helplessness Questionnaire: Examining Factor Structure, Social Desirability Bias, and Demographic Differences in an American Sample
This study aimed to validate the Learned Helplessness Questionnaire (LHQ), originally developed in Italy, for use in an American context. It examined .
- Pub. date: December 15, 2024
- Pages: 233-246
- 27 Downloads
- 65 Views
- 0 Citations
This study aimed to validate the Learned Helplessness Questionnaire (LHQ), originally developed in Italy, for use in an American context. It examined the LHQ's factor structure, social desirability bias, the relationship between learned helplessness and mastery orientation, and demographic differences in these constructs. Data from 100 adults were collected via an online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of the LHQ (learned helplessness and mastery orientation), with acceptable fit indices after minor modification. Internal consistency was deemed to be acceptable for both factors. Social desirability bias analysis indicated significant correlations with both constructs, suggesting that participants may have overreported mastery orientation and underreported learned helplessness. A significant negative correlation was found between the two constructs, with participants generally reporting higher levels of mastery orientation. No significant differences were observed across gender or age groups. These findings contribute to the cross-cultural validation of the LHQ, highlighting the importance of social desirability bias in self-reported measures and suggesting potential areas for refinement.
learned helplessness mastery orientation motivation scale validation social desirability bias
Keywords: Learned helplessness, mastery orientation, motivation, scale validation, social desirability bias.
0
References
Abramson, L. Y., Seligman, M. E., & Teasdale, J. D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87(1), 49-74. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.87.1.49
Barrera, M., Jr., & Castro, F. G. (2006). A heuristic framework for the cultural adaptation of interventions. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 13(4), 311–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2006.00043.x
Baucom, D. H., & Danker-Brown, P. (1984). Sex role identity and sex-stereotyped tasks in the development of learned helplessness in women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46(2), 422-430. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.46.2.422
Boggiano, A. K., & Barrett, M. (1991). Strategies to motivate helpless and mastery-oriented children: The effect of gender-based expectancies. Sex Roles, 25, 487-510. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290059
Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24(4), 349-354. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0047358
Dekker, S., Krabbendam, L., Lee, N. C., Boschloo, A., De Groot, R., & Jolles, J. (2013). Sex differences in goal orientation in adolescents aged 10–19: The older boys adopt work-avoidant goals twice as often as girls. Learning and Individual Differences, 26, 196-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.07.011
Diener, C. I., & Dweck, C. S. (1978). An analysis of learned helplessness: Continuous changes in performance, strategy, and achievement cognitions following failure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(5), 451-462. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.36.5.451
D’Lima, G. M., Winsler, A., & Kitsantas, A. (2014). Ethnic and gender differences in first-year college students’ goal orientation, self-efficacy, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. The Journal of Educational Research, 107(5), 341-356. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2013.823366
Dweck, C. S. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41(10), 1040-1048. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.41.10.1040
Dweck, C. S., Davidson, W., Nelson, S., & Enna, B. (1978). Sex differences in learned helplessness: II. The contingencies of evaluative feedback in the classroom and III. An experimental analysis. Developmental Psychology, 14(3), 268-276. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.14.3.268
Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256-273. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.95.2.256
Dweck, C. S., & Reppucci, N. D. (1973). Learned helplessness and reinforcement responsibility in children. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 25(1), 109-116. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034248
Elliot, A. J., & Church, M. A. (1997). A hierarchical model of approach and avoidance achievement motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(1), 218-232. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.218
Elliot, A. J., Dweck, C. S., & Yeager, D. S. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of competence and motivation: Theory and application. Guilford Publications.
Fincham, F. D., Hokoda, A., & Sanders, R., Jr. (1989). Learned helplessness, test anxiety, and academic achievement: A longitudinal analysis. Child Development, 60(1), 138-145. https://doi.org/10.2307/1131079
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0 update (4th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Grant, H., & Dweck, C. S. (2003). Clarifying achievement goals and their impact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 541–553. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.541
Haghighat, R. (2007). The development of the brief social desirability scale (BSDS). Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 3(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v3i4.417
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.
Hiroto, D. S., & Seligman, M. E. (1975). Generality of learned helplessness in man. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(2), 311-327. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076270
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), Article 8, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1014
Holtgraves, T. (2004). Social desirability and self-reports: Testing models of socially desirable responding. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(2), 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167203259930
Hooper, D., Coughlan, J., & Mullen, M. R. (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 6(1), 53-60. http://bit.ly/49CSDa1
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed). The Guilford Press.
Maier, S. F., & Seligman, M. E. (1976). Learned helplessness: Theory and evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 105(1), 3–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.105.1.3
McLeod, S. (2023, July 31). What is kurtosis? Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/kurtosis.html
Milfont, T., & Fischer, R. (2010). Testing measurement invariance across groups: Applications in cross-cultural research. International Journal of Psychological Research, 3(1), 111-121. https://doi.org/10.21500/20112084.857
Minkov, M., & Kaasa, A. (2022). Do dimensions of culture exist objectively? A validation of the revised Minkov-Hofstede model of culture with World Values Survey items and scores for 102 countries. Journal of International Management, 28(4), 100971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2022.100971
Overmier, J. B., & Seligman, M. E. (1967). Effects of inescapable shock upon subsequent escape and avoidance responding. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 63(1), 28–33. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0024166
Parsons, J. E., Meece, J. L., Adler, T. F., & Kaczala, C. M. (1982). Sex differences in attributions and learned helplessness. Sex Roles, 8, 421-432. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287281
Patrick, H., Ryan, A. M., & Pintrich, P. R. (1999). The differential impact of extrinsic and mastery goal orientations on males' and females' self-regulated learning. Learning and Individual Differences, 11(2), 153-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1041-6080(00)80003-5
Paulhus, D. L., & Reid, D. B. (1991). Enhancement and denial in socially desirable responding. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(2), 307-317. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.2.307
Raufelder, D., & Kulakow, S. (2022). The role of social belonging and exclusion at school and the teacher–student relationship for the development of learned helplessness in adolescents. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(1), 59-81. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12438
Rose, S., Spinks, N., & Canhoto, A. I. (2014). Management research: Applying the principles. Routledge.
Ryan, A. M., Bradburn, J., Bhatia, S., Beals, E., Boyce, A. S., Martin, N., & Conway, J. (2021). In the eye of the beholder: Considering culture in assessing the social desirability of personality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(3), 452–466. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000514
Seligman, M. E. (1972). Learned helplessness. Annual Review of Medicine, 23(1), 407-412. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.me.23.020172.002203
Sorrenti, L., Filippello, P., Costa, S., & Buzzai, C. (2014). Preliminary evaluation of a self-report tool for learned helplessness and mastery orientation in Italian students. Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2(3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.6092/2282-1619/2014.2.1024
Trindade, I. A., Mendes, A. L., & Ferreira, N. B. (2020). The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the link between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology: A preliminary study. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 15, 68-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.12.001
Valås, H. (2010). Learned helplessness and psychological adjustment: Effects of age, gender and academic achievement. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 45(1), 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313830020042689