Martin E. P. Seligman Learned Helpnessness

Learned Helplessness: the original research An ethically questionable experiment with dogs! First, dogs were conditioned to associate a high- pitched sound with an strong electric shock they could not escape. Then, each dog was placed in a large box with 2 compartments divided by a low wall. The shock was delivered through the floor where the dog was placed. In order to escape the shock all the dog needed to do was to jump over the wall into the other compartment. But those dogs stayed in the first compartment, shaking and whimpering.

When your efforts are futile Then you stop trying. That is what the dogs had learned: the shock was unavoidable. So they stopped trying to escape even though it had become possible.

Learned helplessness You have learned you cannot succeed, or make a difference etc. You are convinced of the futility of your efforts You don't try anymore You don't search for solutions You don't even notice when the situation has changed, and now you could succeed.

External locus of control Do you think learned helplessness and external locus of control are the same thing? How might they be similar, different?

Are we in fact always in control? The answer to that question is NO. So there are times when it is appropriate to know, or learn of our helplessness. What might be some of those times or circumstances?

When we in fact have some level of control Then we should not be passive or helpless The healthy course is to look for a solution, or improvement. We should not be too quick to claim we have no control. Most of the time we can make things somewhat better.

Optimism Believing that in general, good things will happen to you

When bad things happen to optimists They generally believe they can make things somewhat better, and act in consequence. So, if for example they have a health problem, they are more likely to work on their diet, exercise etc… If they have a bad grade, they may work on changing some of their study strategies And, guess what, things often DO get better. Their recovery rates are higher. Their grades improve.

Pessimists Expect bad things to happen to them, regardless of what they do. Sometimes they think there is something wrong with them that causes everything to fail, or bad luck to pursue them.

When bad things happen to pessimists They are not surprised They don't think they can do much to improve things.

Seligman's website Website on positive psychology Visit it, try some of the links. There are online tests there, and even opportunity to participate in online research

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