Martin Seligm The Learned Forgedness Theory Of Depression

August 12, 1942, in Albany, New York, Martin Seligman, was born. Seligman attended Albany Academy and later became a psychologist, an educator, and an author of nearly 20 self-help guidance books and more than 250 articles. Continuing his education, Seligman graduated Summa Cum Laude, receiving a bachelor's degree in Philosophy at Princeton University in 1964. Martin Seligman was offered scholarships to study at Oxford University, and the University of Pennsylvania but declined to attend the University of Pennsylvania and study Psychology. Three years later, Seligman received his Ph. D in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and before long became an assistant professor at Cornell University.
Later returning back to the University
of Pennsylvania to teach Psychology, Seligman then founded Positive Psychology and educated on positive effects to scientifically explore human potential. Additionally, Martin Seligman, became the head authority figure of other fields at the University of Pennsylvania, including resilience, depression, optimism, pessimism and learned helplessness. In 1989, Seligman accepted an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Uppsala University. Seligman indicates psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck, from the University of Pennsylvania, as his leading role model.
At the age of 75, Martin Seligman is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, prior to that he was Director of the Clinical Training Program. In 1988, Seligman was nominated President for the American Psychological Association. Martin is now married to Mandy, his second wife, has seven children, and four grandchildren.
Martin Seligman is known for his positive psychology and learned helplessness studies.
“Learned helplessness is a term specifying an organism learning to accept and endure unpleasant stimuli, and unwilling to avoid them, even when it is avoidable” (Seligman). Seligman’s best work was researching the learned helplessness theory of depression. In addition to formulating the five elements to "well-being"; positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievements which can be summarized as PERMA. "Each element of well-being must itself have three properties to count as an element: It contributes to well-being. Many people pursue it for its own sake, not merely to get any of the other elements. It is defined and measured independently of the other elements" (Seligman). Positive emotion could only be determined independently as well as engagement which is personal and individually measured. Relationships involve existence of companionship between family, friends, social connection, or
intimacy.
Having meaning in one's life by associating with and to be of use for something greater than self, while accomplishing goals and aspirations in spite of receiving no positive emotion, meaning, and positive relationships. Although Martin Seligman’s theories are still being validated, he has earned much recognition for his experiments.
In other research, Seligman worked along with Christopher Peterson to envision what they distinguish as a 'positive' counterpart to negative views.
While the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders focuses on what can go wrong, Character Strengths and Virtues, created by Seligman and Christopher Peterson, is designed to look at what can go right. In their analysis of multiple cultures to attempt to clarify a list of virtues that can be controllable. These valued character strengths were retrieved from ancient India, Greece, China, and Western cultures. These attributes include wisdom, knowledge, justice, humanity, temperance, courage and perfection. Seligman and Peterson do not believe there is a hierarchy for these virtues; no one is more crucial than or a forerunner to
another.
In 1967, Seligman's primary experiments and theory of learned helplessness were studied at University of Pennsylvania. Seligman studies his theories on dogs first and then humans. Interested in depression, Seligman amongst colleagues, explored the experiment with the test subjects as dogs to see if changing their thinking would lead to new outcomes. Learned helplessness is behavior of a human or an animal that occurs when the subject endures painful stimuli which is unavoidable. In fact he used three groups of dogs. The first group was held on a leash, while the second group was held on a leash and tased every 15 -30 minutes. Whilst the third group was held on a leash and tased as shortly after the second group. The second group had an escape latch when they felt the electricity they pushed it and ran for freedom. The third group however pushed the latch each time it felt electricity but couldn’t not escape which caused them to eventually give up. It wasn’t until Seligman grabbed the dogs’ legs and walked them to the barrier of freedom where they receptive to the information and later freed.
After negative experiences, the being often fails to bypass a problem in new situations. Furthermore, the being has learned it is helpless in a situation where there is a problem, has accepted loss of control, and then quits trying. Seligman observed the dogs once more, who did not acknowledge that they obtained the knowledge to maneuver from an unpleasant situation or unfortunate circumstance. He stated nothing worked with the group that had given up except to pick them up and move step by step instruct them.
He later observed his theory on humans recognizing that humans can not change a situation they are positioned in, categorizing his discovery as a psychological condition. Concluding that helplessness is learned and forces an animal or human to act helpless in a particular situation, resulting in a depression. Seligman used the data from his learned helplessness study to help others like the military. Assisting soldiers with military psychological complications, Seligman helped decrease the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder. Martin‘s (PERMA) model worked with the military soldiers, to help them with leading a happy/positive life while fulfilling all needs.
Seligman has greatly influenced the study of Psychology. Not only has he made valid points about learned behavior but he continues everyday to make the world better understand the brain we use daily. His research is being taught worldwide in college courses, and he also continues to write short articles. While teaching his current students he inspires and encourages them to break barriers set up by society, family, or friends. Although this experiments are still in the process of being validated there are many instances where he is proven right. For instance, the vast society of immigrants who are constantly between by told no or you can’t, middle forward in life with said mindset. Like the two year old who is constantly being told she can’t because she too small or the girl who wants to sing but is told by friends she can’t. These examples are not like the trials Seligman ran but they give a little insight on his experiment.