Seligman's Theory Of Learned Helplessness

Rosa’s condition has not only affected her life physically but also psychologically. Over time she has become depressed as she feels ‘stuck in hospital all day and a burden on family and staff’. Psychological theories provide evidence-based explanations for why people think, behave, and feel the way they do. The cognitive explanation of depression originated with Seligman, he developed the theory of learned helplessness and attributions. The impact of learned helplessness has been demonstrated in a number of different animal species, but

Classical conditioning would suggest that depression is cultured through the connotation of certain stimuli’s’ with undesirable emotional states. Operant conditioning believes that depression is instigated by

The two theories discussed here will be the Psychodynamic Theory and the Social Learning Theory. Psychodynamic theories include the wisdom of Freud and Jung. Freud discusses, defense mechanisms, understanding the ego as it relates to rational thinking and the superego in regard to mortality. Whereas the Social Learning Theory includes those works from Bandura, Watson, and Piaget among others. This theory will focus on imitation, observation and modeling another’s behavior to achieve a certain desired outcome. Although their conceptual theories differ, they both reflect, shape, and interpret the very essence of the human psyche and how we have evolved and developed over the years.

Seligman and Maier’s discovery is derived from the results of an experiment based on Pavlov’s classical conditioning theory. The experiment being performed involved dogs and mild electrical shocks. Initially, the dogs were restrained in a hammock and they would receive a mild electric shock every time a specific sound was heard. After a conditioning period, the dogs were removed from the restrictive hammocks and placed into boxes. The boxes did not restrain the dogs in any manner, and they could easily jump out of the boxes in order to avoid the electrical shock at any time. The dogs involved in this experiment never tried to escape from the boxes. The dogs had learned in the previous conditioning that the shock was not based upon their behavior and it was unavoidable. The dogs had developed a feeling of helplessness that had overwhelmed their beings, that they quit trying to avoid the electrical shocks and just accepted it as fate

Classical conditioning is often associated with physiologist Ivan Pavlov’s experiment with the salivating dog (Hutchinson, 2015). This experiment focused on conditioning the dog to associate food with the bell while salivating, and eventually salivates when the bell is rung even without the presence of food. Operant conditioning theory is changed behavior as the result of a reinforcement (Hutchinson, 2015). In our society, we associate positive reinforcements with compliments, smiles, high-fives in order to encourage a behavior more. Negative reinforcement involves jail, detention, and grounding, and this is to stop a behavior from continuing. A cognitive social learning theory states that behavior can be learned through observations, beliefs, expectations, and imitation of others (Hutchinson, 2015). A major difference between cognitive social learning theory and the others, is a lack of manipulation to encourage the individual to follow through with a behavior. Rather, cognitive social learning theories suggest that a change in thinking can ultimately result in a change in behavior (Hutchinson, 2015).

Fear. What exactly is it? For me, it’s the twisting in my stomach, the uneasiness that’s starting to rise up from my belly to my throat, the knots slowly forming into a bundle of nerves, and all the anxiety that comes along with it. In this paper, I will be discussing my learning experience with my fear of roller coasters and analyze them with the perspective of learning theories. I will analyze my learning experience(s) with regards to classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. This is how I learned to be afraid of roller coaster(s).

The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control–

Learned helplessness is used to explain the failure to avoid aversive stimuli in a controllable situation after experiencing an unavoidable aversive situation because the organisms learned that the avoidance of the aversive situation is not affected by their actions (Seligman & Maier, 1967). Overmier and Seligman (1967) also suggest that this phenomenon is seen when a subject that is revealed frequently to an unavoidable stressor will develop an observable sign in which it displays lowered ability to escape the same stressor when it is delivered in cases where escape is available. The major application of this theory is used to understand depression in humans. Learned helplessness was actually discovered accidentally. It was found out when

Here we discuss research of Indian writers SURAJ MAL, UDAY JAIN and K. S. YADAV, which is called “Effects of Prolonged Deprivation on Learned Helplessness”. This study article consists of 8 pages.

Learned helplessness occurs when a person is repeatedly exposed to an aversive stimuli and feels that no matter how much they try to escape; they are not successful. Therefore, they tend to cave in since a sense of being helpless has been developed to escape the situation. Early studies on the idea of learned helplessness occurred accidently since psychologists were initially studying avoidance learning in dogs. These dogs were subject to a few foot shocks and at first would attempt to escape the shock however, these dogs later on stop attempting to escape and would submissively accept the foot shocks. Then these psychologists tried numerous situations to examine this sensation by placing the dogs in different cages where it would be easier

In the next case study, Jackie is a 23 year-old who was bit by a dog which required stitches when she was only 3. She remembers what happened in detail and the psychological distress from the trauma causes her to avoid dogs at all cost, however; she is engaged to a dog breeder and will need to learn to how to get past this before she gets married in which dogs will be a constant part of her life. Jackie needs help in overcoming this fear so she can live a healthy and happy home life. When trauma and distress engulf a person’s life and in turn dictates their behavior, there are specific principles that analysts use to help the individual overcome this obstacle and develop a modification

“The aversion therapy is considered a type of psychological treatment, where patients will be exposed to different types of stimulus and at the same time it will experience some type of discomfort (Lieberman, 2012).”This treatment is based on the principles of classical conditioning; using classical conditioning to get rid of addictions or unwanted behaviours. Patient’s unwanted addiction is paired with a drug that makes them sick.

Regression is one of the defence mechanisms identified by Freud. According to Freud there are times when people are faced with circumstances that make them feel at such unease and threatened, that they cannot deal with it and they protect themselves, by retreating to an earlier stage of development. Many children who use regression as a defence mechanism, may begin to suck their thumb again.

Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in which a human being or an animal has learned to act or behave helpless in a particular situation, even when it has the power to change its unpleasant or even harmful circumstance (Seligman, 1975). This feeling of helplessness is generated when the individual has been exposed to previous uncontrollable events and thus learns to fail in the current situation because responding in the past had yielded insignificant results (Nation & Massad, 1975). Therefore by attributing uncontrollable negative outcomes to internal and lasting causes, people might perceive that future events will also be uncontrollable. As such, helplessness is manifested in

All children are unique as they learn, progress, develop at different rates and in a variety of ways. Nearly all theorists agree on the principles of children’s learning expansion in general and play a vital fragment of early childhood development. They all accept that cognitive learning is relatively systematic and takes place gradually at a variety of rates. Learning only occurs when experience causes a permanent change in an individual’s knowledge or behaviour (Weatherby-Fell, N. 2013). I am reviewing Burrus Federic Skinner’s behavioural theory and Jean Piaget cognitive development theory. This report style essay will provide an overview of the two theorists, a comparison between the two in relation to the image of the child, teaching, learning and development, and an analysis of how these two approaches align with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Subsequently, details of both theories will be discussed and explained to illuminate the differences and connections to how children learn. These two extremely well-known theorists’ approaches are stimulating, cause reflection upon learning methods and ensures thought provoking teaching.