Martin Seligman on Helplessness Nov 29th

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Some things in life are indeed out of our control such as the economy, the weather, other people’s mind, tragedies, accidents, etc. However, it is dangerous when a person has been conditioned to believe that they can not escape uncontrollable situations. Research about learned helplessness shows that when people feel that they have no control over what happens to them, they tend to give up and accept their fate (Cherry, 2021). Many people experience this helplessness and may have difficulty finding motivation to change their situation. Stress, mental health issues, isolation, trauma, grief, and a variety of other causes can contribute for a person to suffer learned helplessness. Today, we’ll gain more knowledge about this condition.

Learned helplessness is a state that develops after a person or an animal has been exposed to an uncontrollable and stressful situation repeatedly. And they learn to believe that there is no way to change or manage that situation, so they refuse to try – even when opportunities for change arise. In 1967, Martin Seligman first studied this condition in dogs and he coined the term learned helplessness. 

In experiment part 1, the dogs were grouped into 3. Group 1 dogs were strapped into harnesses for a period of time with no electric shocks. Group 2 and 3 dogs were strapped into the same harnesses but were randomly given shocks, the only difference is, Group 2 could avoid the shocks by hitting a lever, while Group 3 were given no way to avoid them. In experiment part 2, the same 3 groups of dogs were tested in a chamber with a low partition (one side has shocks, the other side doesn’t have), and so the only thing they have to do is to jump over to the shock-free side of the chamber. Groups 1 and 2 dogs easily learned this task and escaped the shock. But most of the Group 3 dogs, who had already learned firsthand that there is nothing they can do to avoid the shocks, did not even try.

The dogs' past belief taught them that they are helpless and that no matter what they do, they would not be able to escape the situation. Soon, the researchers discovered that there is a way for the dogs to unlearn this belief, and that is to physically pick them up, move their legs, and repeat the actions the dogs would need to escape the electrified area several times. The dogs would experience a new reality, learn a new piece of information, where there is a safe environment outside of the cage. From then on, the dogs will start to willfully move away from the shocks.

One way we can mirror learned helplessness to humans is by exemplifying people who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. These are people who experienced traumatic events such as abuse, neglect, and violence. Those experiences may lead them to the belief that they’ve been stuck in that free state and there’s nothing they can do to get out, hoping that whatever is going on would just stop by itself. 

Also, learned helplessness usually begins in childhood. Kids who have been subjected to lengthy periods of abuse and neglect, for example, may develop a sense of hopelessness or helplessness. Some parents fail to guide and respond to their child's need for help effectively, so the child may come to believe that they are powerless to change their circumstances. If this happens on a frequent basis, the acquired helplessness may last into adulthood. 

Further study has revealed that how people view negative events might influence whether they feel helpless or not. Later, Seligman established the concept of learned optimism, a process that focuses on how you understand your problems and how you respond to them. People can break out from their helplessness cycle by constructively explaining events to themselves and cultivating a positive internal self dialog.

Research shows that how we talk and explain to ourselves the reasons for the outcome of a situation impacts how we acquire learned helplessness. Let’s say, you failed a math test, two reasons you could give are “I’m dumb, I am not good at math” or “I didn’t study hard enough”. The belief that most likely contribute to learned helplessness is telling yourself that you are dumb and you aren’t good at math. Whereas if you believe that you just didn’t study enough, then you are giving yourself the opportunity to change that the next time. Positive self-talk is less likely to bring you learned helplessness.