Behavioral models were the initial approaches that early behaviorists employed when dealing with depressive individuals. The approaches influenced the behaviorists to borrow psychological models, consequently using the borrowed information to explain complex issues such as depression. The continued development of different learning models brought forth new cognitive models such as Martin Seligman’s “learned helplessness” theory. This theory of depression commenced with an animal model for depressive disorder. Following the identification of this theory, it is essential to address the history of its development and the manner in which it has contributed to the field of health psychology. In this light, the learned helplessness theory brings forth the argument that the way in which people view their negative experiences has an impact on whether they are likely to feel helpless or otherwise.
History of the Learned Helplessness Theory
Seligman and his colleagues used a dog to conduct experiments that would lead to the accidental discovery of the unexpected phenomenon that could be linked to human depression. Seligman began the experiments in the mid-1960s, consequently working towards testing a theory that could be used to explain the aspect of avoidance learning. He made observations on a phenomenon in which animals that were exposed to inevitable shock would be deficient in avoidance responses (Overmier & Molet, 2013). His fundamental assumption was that the dog had acquired a generalized helplessness. He used the results from the experiments he did to come up with analogies applicable to human depression.
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In his first experiment, he rang a bell before administering an irritating sensation to the dog. According to Overmier and Molet (2013), Seligman’s idea was to ensure that the dog associates the sound from the bell with the unpleasant experience. In this case, the expectation was that the dog would run away after hearing the bell, consequently showing behavior related to fear. The next part of the experiment involved the conditioning of the dog. The researchers put it into a box that contained two compartments that were divided by a fence. The fence was low enough to enable the dog to jump over once he heard the tone of the bell. However, when the researchers rang the bell, after which they administered the shock, the dog did not jump over (Liu, Kleiman, Nestor & Cheek, 2015). The used a control dog for the experiment, which jumped over the fence after the administration of the unpleasant sensation. This control experiment indicated that the first dog learned to be helpless in addition to connecting the tone and the unpleasant sensation.
Seligman made modifications to this theory by incorporating the way of thinking of the human being. The consequential adaptation of this cognitive model provided that depressed individuals are not only prone to feel helplessness but the loss of hope as well. Behavioral theorists are likely to use this theory to suggest that individuals with depressive personality traits are more likely to be depressed than those that do not have the traits (Liu, Kleiman, Nestor & Cheek, 2015). Examples of individuals with depressive personality traits are the introverts, individuals that exhibit extreme worry after an unpleasant event has occurred, and those that self-criticize themselves, among other traits. Seligman’s experiments reveal that depressed individuals are slow at changing their expectations, which suggests that they have deficiencies in their perceptions of contingency.
The Learned Helplessness Theory and Health Psychology
This theory is applicable to individuals that think that it is not possible for them to alter a particular situation, which means that they might miss opportunities that might make them feel helpless. Such people are likely to develop mental conditions that are inclusive of clinical depression. For this reason, Seligman’s findings could be used in other related studies to assist psychologists to understand the foundation of depression. Bruce Overmier and Mikael Molet (2013) indicate that the demonstrations of the failure to cope with the challenges from the environment after experiencing a traumatic event are important theoretically and empirically. Their importance emanates from the idea that they inform psychological treatment of conditions such as depression as well as posttraumatic stress disorders.
Seligman provided four suggestions that could be used as therapeutic strategies for developing therapy programs, which are consistent with the theory’s tenets. One of the theories is environmental manipulation. This suggestion factors in the need for psychologists to put an individual in an environment that is likely to promote their recovery and the subsequent gain of their sense of control (Liu, Kleiman, Nestor & Cheek, 2015). Secondly, psychologists could use skill training, such as interpersonal skill training, to ensure that an individual can increase his or her ability to control their environment. The other suggestion is resignation training, which assists individuals to give up some of the unrealistic goals and replace them with controllable and realistic ones. The final suggestion is the aspect of attribution retraining, which enables a person to avoid the initiation of depressive episodes. A therapist could use these suggestions to develop a therapy program for a patient, depending on the extent of their failure to cope with some of their challenges.
Psychologists could also use the tenets of the theory to look deeper into the changes that usually occur in an individual’s brain in relation to their changing behavior. In this case, the psychologists could assess the brain changes that mediate the manifestation of learned helplessness. Overmier and Molet (2013) indicate that leaders in this field are Maier and Watkins, whose orientation focuses on linking the physiology of the brain to the changes in an individual’s behavior. These scientists provide reviews of their psychological research, consequently putting their findings in the context of the manner in which both animals and man behaves.
Different studies have revealed that learned helplessness could be related to a variety of social problems. This theory has been beneficial to the field of health psychology in the sense that it has assisted professionals in the field to make distinctions between uncontrollable outcomes for all people, and the uncontrollable outcomes for a particular group of people. Additionally, Sivakumar Nuvvula (2016) considers helplessness as a consequence of the socialization of an individual. This perspective is an addition to the provision of Seligman’s theory, which is based on the aspect that the family could influence an individual’s negativism or rigidity. This element is indicative of the idea that learned helplessness could be learned through the developmental process, an indication that socio-cultural features play a part in the process.
Conclusion
To conclude, it would be essential to point out that the learned helplessness theory is characterized by the state in which an individual does not consider doing anything to alter the different experiences that he or she has. Instead, the affected individual quits or gives up responses following the conviction that whatever is done does not matter. When individuals are exposed to depressive situations for extended periods, they are likely to learn that the responses to the situation are unconnected. Seligman revealed that learning attained in the depressive or traumatic situations weaken an individual’s learning, consequently leading to inactivity. As indicated earlier, Seligman’s work has contributed to the field of health psychology from the point of making behavioral assessments in patients with depression.
References
Liu, R., Kleiman, E., Nestor, B., & Cheek, S. (2015). The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Quarter-Century in Review. Clinical Psychology: Science And Practice , 22 (4), 345-365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12125
Nuvvula, S. (2016). Learned helplessness. Contemporary Clinical Dentistry , 7 (4), 426. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0976-237x.194124
Overmier, J., & Molet, M. (2013). Learned Helplessness. Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets . http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0112
