Seligmans' Learned Helplessness

Summary

In 1965, Martin Seligman's experiments on dogs revealed 'learned helplessness'—a psychological state where repeated negative experiences lead to a belief in one's inability to change outcomes. This concept extends to humans, affecting their reactions to negative events. Attributions that are internal, stable, and global are most likely to induce helplessness. Studies have linked learned helplessness to depression, stress, reduced learning capacity, and decreased effort, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing this mindset.

Takeaways

• 🔔 Martin Seligman researched classical conditioning by associating a bell sound with a shock to dogs.
• 🐶 Dogs reacted to the sound of the bell as if they had already been shocked, indicating conditioning.
• 🧠 Seligman introduced the concept of 'learned helplessness' when dogs, after being conditioned, gave up trying to avoid shocks in a new setup.
• ⚡ In a divided crate experiment, dogs exposed to shocks previously did not jump over the fence to escape, even when given the opportunity.
• 🐕 Dogs that were not conditioned quickly escaped the shocks by jumping over the fence, contrasting with those conditioned to be helpless.
• 🤔 Seligman discovered that learned helplessness could be transferred to humans, where people also give up after repeated negative events.
• 📉 Attributions of negative events to internal, stable, and global factors are most likely to cause learned helplessness in people.
• 💡 Learned helplessness can lead to lower effort, increased stress, and a reduced ability to learn new things.
• 📚 Studies showed that learned helplessness affects academic performance, with students convinced they are 'bad' at certain subjects giving up.
• 😔 Learned helplessness is linked to depression and can have a long-lasting impact on mental health and behavior.

Q & A

What experiment did Martin Seligman conduct in 1965?

Martin Seligman conducted an experiment on classical conditioning, where dogs were conditioned to associate a bell with a light shock. Eventually, the dogs reacted to the bell as though they were being shocked, even before the shock occurred.

What unexpected behavior did the dogs display in the second part of the experiment?

In the second part of the experiment, when placed in a crate where they could escape the shock by jumping over a low fence, the dogs lay down and did not try to escape, indicating learned helplessness.

What is learned helplessness?

Learned helplessness is a condition in which a person or animal learns to believe they are powerless to avoid negative situations because of previous experiences of helplessness.

How did the dogs that had not been conditioned respond in the second part of the experiment?

The dogs that had not been conditioned with previous shocks quickly jumped over the fence to escape the shocks, unlike the conditioned dogs, which displayed learned helplessness.

What are attributions, and how do they relate to learned helplessness?

Attributions are factors a person blames for the outcome of a situation. Certain types of attributions—internal, stable, and global—are more likely to lead to learned helplessness.

What is an internal attribution, and how can it lead to learned helplessness?

An internal attribution is when a person blames themselves for a negative outcome. For example, believing one failed a test because they are 'stupid' is an internal attribution and can lead to learned helplessness if repeated.

What is the difference between stable and unstable attributions?

A stable attribution is one that a person believes will not change over time (e.g., 'I'm always bad at math'), whereas an unstable attribution can change (e.g., 'I failed because I didn't study this time'). Stable attributions contribute more to learned helplessness.

How does global attribution contribute to learned helplessness?

Global attribution is the belief that a negative outcome applies broadly across different situations, not just one. For example, believing 'I'm bad at all subjects' is a global attribution that can contribute to learned helplessness.

How can learned helplessness affect academic performance?

Learned helplessness can affect academic performance when students repeatedly fail and start to believe they are incapable of succeeding. They may stop trying, leading to continued poor performance and a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What effect did teaching freshmen about intelligence and success have on their academic performance?

Freshmen who were taught that intelligence and success could change over time showed fewer symptoms of learned helplessness and had fewer academic issues compared to those who did not receive this instruction.