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Home Martin Seligman’s Learned Helplessness Theory

Martin Seligman’s Learned Helplessness Theory

People were born and differently. Various factors affect and contribute to the growing and maturing ability of a person. There are situation and incidence that impacts great changes to their life. Mental ability and skills of a person is being developed at home and enhance out side of it, but most frequently, the person that you expect that will help and guide you towards growing is the one that will input negative taught to your mind.

Well, this is quite true. Not all family are perfect and not all parents are motivated to give and provide their kids what they need materially but might as well the need of emotional support that will drive them to be more motivated and enhance and developed their belief on their strength and ability. This is the common causes why this child as they grow starts to develop behavior such as Learned Helplessness.

This is the acceptance that they can’t able to excel on something or totally cannot do anything. They learned that whatever they do, it will never be enough. People that suffers or experience this conditions puts limit to themselves, commonly they avoid accepting challenges because of the fear that they can’t able to deliver it properly and the fact that they are being dependent on other peoples abilities and skills. The mind setting that it was fate that they have to accept their condition or state and there’s nothing they can do to change it.

In year 1970’s, it was Martin Seligman who is responsible of the theory on Learned Helplessness which been the major influence to the psychological research. He discovered the learned helplessness accidentally while studying effects of shock inescapable on learning active avoidance in dogs.

They put harness on the dogs and administered numerous shocks paired with conditioned stimulus pairing procedure in studying classical conditions. After which, they placed the dogs in a place where they can able to escape and avoid shocked if they jump over the barrier. The researchers never expected that the dogs failed to avoid or even get away because their mentality that they can’t do anything and they are so helpless. This is where Seligman compared that behavior to humans and a research was also conducted.

From the experiments, he came to realize that same behavior operates to people that suffers from a reactive depression. The kind of depression which puts a reaction to clear stress like lose of job, lover or loved ones, once a person felt rejection, discrimination, failure they end up to the mindset that there’s nothing they can do to overcome their situation. They are being stagnant on the stage of learning helplessness that they lose motivation, eagerness and self belief that there’s still hope.

This condition can still be overcome with the help of a professional. They should find and start setting an appointment to a health care provider that will surely help and guide them on the process. It’s just a matter of motivation and determination to be able to achieve and overcome whatever weaknesses and challenges that comes to their lives.

Jun 9, 2014-Flow Psychology Editor
Empathy vs ApathyOvercoming Learned Helplessness
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