The phenomenon of learned helplessness Learned helplessness is… Maladaptive passivity shown by animals & people following experience with uncontrollable events A mental state in which a living being does not feel the connection between effort and result Never an innate trait How does it affect one's behavior? 1 Living beings start to understand/believe that they have no control over what happens to them 2 They begin to think, feel, and act as if they are helpless Who discovered it? Martin Seligman, an American psychologist known for his so-called positive psychology and well-being theories When was it discovered? late 1960-s Significant changes in attitudes towards human motivation: Before: motivation = willpower A cognitive revolution in psychology: cognitive processes information processing, self-regulation Not only desire matters but the chances of achieving what one wants Uncontrollable events Helpless/pessimistic explanatory style: Internal “it is me” Stable “it will always be that way” Global “it's going to spoil everything” 1 Electrified floor Escapable Electrified floor Inescapable No electrified floor (Control group) Electrified floor Escapable Electrified floor Escapable Electrified floor Escapable 2 Escape No attempts Escape So what? Can we learn optimism? What if this mechanism can be used elsewhere?.. Is it just a lack of action or is it yet a mental disorder? Will a person who is aware of this phenomenon try once again after a range of failures?
