Recent learned helplessness/irrelevance research in Japan: conceptual framework and some experiments on learned irrelevance.

In Section 1, a conceptual framework within which to study learned helplessness (LH), learned irrelevance (LI) and the related phenomena is introduced. In Section 2, three rat experiments on LI conducted in our laboratory using a conditioned suppression of licking preparation are introduced. In Experiment 1, the phenomena of LI and general LI were confirmed. In Experiment 2, random presentations of CST/US were found to interfere with subsequent initial excitatory conditioning to CSL under random CSL/US presentations. In Experiment 3, pre-paired presentations of CSN or CST with US before random CST/US presentations was found to have an attenuating effect on the development of general LI.