What term describes a student's anticipation of failure and tendency to give up easily?

• A. Learned helplessness
• B. Academic anxiety
• C. Low self-esteem
• D. Cognitive overload

Answer: (A)

Learned helplessness is the appropriate term to describe a student's anticipation of failure and their tendency to give up easily. This phenomenon occurs when students experience repeated failures despite their efforts, leading them to believe that their actions have no effect on outcomes. As a result, they may develop a mindset where they feel powerless to change their circumstances and become passive, often leading to an expectation of failure in new situations.

In contrast, academic anxiety relates more specifically to the stress and apprehension students might feel regarding their performance or evaluations, rather than a pervasive belief in their inability to succeed. Low self-esteem pertains to an individual's overall perception of their self-worth, which may not directly correlate with their willingness to try or their expectations of success. Cognitive overload involves being overwhelmed with too much information or too many tasks, which might hinder performance but does not directly relate to the anticipation of failure or giving up. Thus, learned helplessness most accurately captures the characteristics described in the question.