Summary Of Martin Seligman's Theory Of Learned Helplessness

Martin Seligman's Theory of Learned Helplessness
Helplessness is when a person or an animal that categories under organisms are forced to involve in a situation that cannot to be avoid or escape (Kendra Cherry, 2016). This happened because the organisms have learned that it cannot control the condition. According to James McDowell (2009), helplessness is a situation where a person understands that achievements are depends on someone's capacity. He conclude that, if someone having difficulties to achieve something, they might end up with failure and repeat it again until to be succeed. At this stage most of them learned helplessness if they suffer to overcome the problems and lack of motivation. Learned helplessness is leads to depression that
There were three groups and two phases for this experiment. In first phase, the group 1 dog received a shock it is able to avoid it whereas, another group (group 2) of dogs received the shock that cannot be avoided. The time of the shock pass through was the same for both groups. From this experiment, the time taken for the first group dog to escape was observed. But for the third group the situation was controlled. The dogs in group 3 does not receive any shock at the first phase. Then the second phase was conducted. This phase is similar for every group. The dogs placed in the shuttle box at the electrified area. The experiment was carry out by producing a small electrical shock to the dogs. The dogs from group 1 and group 3 learned rapidly to escape themselves from electrical area by jumping to the normal compartment. Whereas, the dogs from group 2 remain at the electrified area even there is a way to escape. The experiment was repeated, but there is no response. The dogs were waiting for the experimenter to turn off the shock. According to Grace Kealy (2016) this experiment conclude that, an uncontrollable shock result in learned helplessness by the dogs from group
This happened because certain parties have overused the theory. They usually take advantages of learned helplessness to experience in every situation that faced. Therefore, learned helplessness is a meaningful and usable idea, but overusing it might affect the concept (Christopher Peterson, Steven F.Maier & Martin E.P.Seligman 1993). Conflict between cognitive and behaviourist is also another source of controversy to be observed. From the experiment that carried by Martin Seligman and his colleagues, initially the dog was in a situation where it cannot escape while the shock appears. On the other hand, the dog were failed to escape from the second experiment even though there is a way. According to Christoper Peterson (1993), the dog in harness which was been controlled has learned independent of their response and expected shocked will be uncontrollable that conclude to helplessness. These controversies make the psychologist to do more research on the