I think "Learned Helplessness" research was originated by Martin Seligman's caged dog. As such, research efforts along this line ( a mix of behaviourism and positive psychology) followed a predictive ethos: Cheer up. The harder you try, the better you get. Success in life is about incremental improvements. This might be motivating for the masses but some questions remain. 
1) Are they real sciences? As noted above studies relying on animal model have problems of reductionism. Humans are not animals. Holocaust anyone? Gulag anyone? Cain and Abel? Why did Salome ordered the neck of John the Baptist instead of some gold bangle? All significant events in human history are erased by the reductionist model of human mind.