10. Martin Seligman

Learned Helplessness

A condition in which an organism learns that reinforcement and behavior do not depend on each other, leading to passivity.

Motivational Deficit

A situation where the individual is unable to act or respond effectively due to learning that their actions do not influence outcomes.

Depressive Explanatory Style

A style characterized by pessimism regarding outcomes of one's actions, leading to feelings of helplessness.

Positive Psychology

The study of strengths and virtues in humans, focusing on building positive aspects of life rather than just treating mental illness.

Authentic Happiness

A state of well-being that comes from the application of strengths and virtues in daily life.

PERMA Model

A well-being model created by Seligman that stands for Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.

Gratifications

Deep experiences from activities that involve significant engagement and enjoyment, lasting longer than simple pleasures.

Flow

A state of complete immersion in an activity, where an individual feels a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment.

Positive Relationships

Connections that improve well-being by providing support, purpose, and meaning in life.

Seligman's Second Experiment on Dogs

In the second phase, Seligman showed that when dogs were given a way to escape from a painful situation, they quickly learned to do so, indicating recovery from learned helplessness.

Seligman's Experiment on Dogs

Initial experiments demonstrated that dogs could learn to overcome pain through a process of conditioning. In the first part, dogs were subjected to mild electric shocks but could escape by pressing a lever. However, in a subsequent phase where the shocks were unavoidable, the dogs learned that their actions had no effect on the situation. Consequently, they became passive and ceased to try to escape, showcasing a phenomenon known as 'learned helplessness.' This experiment illustrated how exposure to uncontrollable stressors can lead to a state of apathy and resignation.