ABSTRACT

In the last chapter we looked closely at vulnerabilities of young children, and saw that even children as young as 3½ years old can show clear evidence of a helpless response, including nonpersistence, lowered expectations, negative self-evaluations, negative emotions, and feelings of badness. Where do these responses come from? How do children develop these feelings, expectations, and reactions? Do they simply come this way, with some children being naturally mastery-oriented and others being more inclined to react helplessly?