University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Development and Validation of the Helplessness Self-Statement Inventory

Platt, Christine Prosen

This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/69164

Description

Title
Development and Validation of the Helplessness Self-Statement Inventory
Author(s)
Platt, Christine Prosen
Issue Date
1987
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Kaczkowski, Henry
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Education, Guidance and Counseling
  • Psychology, Clinical
  • Psychology, Psychometrics
Abstract
  • This paper describes the development and validation of a self-statement instrument measuring learned helplessness in college age students in academic achievement situations. The study involves the construction of a model of learned helplessness for this population; the generation and selection of items for the instrument, the Helplessness Self-Statement Inventory (HSSI); the collection of summary statistics and reliability data for the instrument; and the collection of data establishing its construct and criterion-related validity.
  • The study focuses upon the description and measurement of the long term effects of helplessness in college students. The model developed here postulates difficulties in task persistence, concentration and anxiety for helpless students; additionally, it postulates deficits in problem solving skills and self-monitoring skills as a result of years of task avoidance.
  • Items for the HSSI were generated from the natural speech of college students describing their self-talk in academic achievement situations. Items were selected based on criteria developed from the model, and the resulting 48-item self-statement inventory was investigated in terms of its reliability and internal structure. Construct validity was assessed by investigating the relationship of HSSI scores with measures of achievement anxiety and self control; criterion-related validity was assessed through a procedure in which helpless and nonhelpless students solved problems while thinking aloud. It was concluded that the Helplessness Self-Statement Inventory has sufficient reliability and validity to make it useful both as a diagnostic device in a college or university population and as a research tool. Results were discussed in terms of (a) conclusions about the HSSI, (b) conclusions about helpless college students, (c) implications for intervention with these individuals, and (d) implications for further work.
Graduation Semester
1987
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/69164

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Education
Dissertations and Theses from the College of Education