In the late 1960s Martin Seligman et al conducted an experiment to condition dogs to jump a barrier when they heard a sound using electric floors. The “pre-conditioned” dogs did not learn faster as hoped, but instead learned to not bother. Learned helplessness in humans is more complex and repeatedly experiencing negative events and internalising this builds up a bank of data which confirms that the situation is out of the person’s control. This then spreads to all aspects of their life.

The health of those with pessimistic attributional styles will suffer.
“What is the point in losing weight if you always fail at everything?”
“Why quit smoking when we’re going to die anyway?”

This behavioural passivity is one way in which this cognitive distortion can be harmful. An entire culture can adopt a fatalistic attitude, learning to view themselves as victims of extrinsic conditions and a self-fulfilling prophecy results.

Intrinsic explanatory styles; Internal, Stable, and Global; will result in blaming the self rather than looking at temporary and external reasons for a failure. This mindset consists of “the failure was my fault [internal], I can’t change this aspect of myself [stable], and this effects everything I do [global].