Sanjana N., Hita Claudia Rao, and Sampathkumar
University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Pages: 317-324
This study examined the influence of learned helplessness on emotional regulation
among college students and assessed the moderating role of gender. 179 participants
(male = 86, female = 93) aged 18 to 25 years were randomly selected for the study.
The Learned Helplessness Scale by Quinless and Nelson and the Difficulties in
Emotional Regulation Scale by Gratz and Roemer were used as measures. Results
showed that learned helplessness had a significant influence on emotional regulation,
and gender moderated this effect. Findings reveal how the struggles of college years
impact the ability of young adults to regulate emotions and how gender differences can
contribute to a differential experience of helplessness. The study calls for gender sensitive
awareness-building programs and targeted interventions that can help students deal
with unhealthy appraisals and distressing emotions to effectively wade through stressful
experiences of life.