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Martin Seligman

Martin Seligman. Learned Helplessness Positive Psychology. Learned Helplessness. Condition resulting from the perception we have no control over the environment Lab experiments on dogs Conditioned: High pitched sound w/ shock Large box w/ 2 compartments Shock delivered on 1 side of box

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Martin Seligman

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  1. Martin Seligman Learned Helplessness Positive Psychology

  2. Learned Helplessness • Condition resulting from the perception we have no control over the environment • Lab experiments on dogs • Conditioned: High pitched sound w/ shock • Large box w/ 2 compartments • Shock delivered on 1 side of box • Dog needed to jump over barrier to escape shock

  3. Learned Helplessness • Experiment results: • Dogs did not cross barrier • Lied down and took the shock • During part 1 of study, dogs learned they were helpless to avoid the shock paired with the noise • Futility of escape

  4. Research Support • Loud noise experiment • No correct sequence of steps to stop the noise • Observation of helpless models • Elderly patrons in nursing home • Those with more control over the situation were happier and more physically active

  5. Explanatory Style • Way of explaining to ourselves our relative lack of control over the environment • Optimistic • More likely to have better immune system functioning, live longer, report less stress and depression when compared to pessimistic • Pessimistic

  6. Depression • Association between learned helplessness and depression • Symptom: Inability to control outcomes • Ultimate pessimism • Formulate explanations about negative situations into personal and pervasive terms

  7. Attribution Model • We attribute our lack of control or failure to some cause • Pessimists: • Internal, stable and global causes • Optimists: • External, unstable and specific causes

  8. Development of Learned Helplessness in Childhood • Particularly vulnerable as infants and children • Early interactions with environment will determine later feelings of control over environment • Consistency of response from externals

  9. Positive Psychology • Deals with happiness, excellence and optimal human functioning • Critical of older approaches that focused on deficits

  10. The Happy Personality • Subjective well-being/ Life satisfaction • Cognitive evaluation of the quality of one’s life experiences and the possession of positive affect • Happiness has both rational and emotional aspects

  11. Who are the Happy Personalities? • Money • Absence can lead to unhappiness • Having significantly beyond what is needed does not increase happiness • Health • Necessary, but not sufficient

  12. Who are the Happy Personalities? • Age and gender • Little bearing • Age and subjective well-being • Positive relationship between life satisfaction and orientation to the future • Satisfaction maintains across the lifespan

  13. Happy Personalities • Social support • Older married persons happier than unmarried • Job satisfaction and level of education • Modest correlation with happiness • National wealth • Citizens of wealthier nations happier

  14. Personality Factors in Happiness • Big 5: Low neuroticism, high extraversion and conscientiousness • Autonomy, competence, self-esteem • Self-acceptance • Environmental mastery

  15. 6 Variables Associated with the Happy Personality • Repressive-defensiveness • Trust • Internal locus of control • Hardiness • Emotional stability and positive affect • Self-esteem

  16. Contributions of Seligman • Concept of learned helplessness • Relation to variety of domains • Reiterate positive psychology • Focus on strengths over weaknesses

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