According to Martin Seligman, what can lead to the experience of learned helplessness?

According to Martin Seligman, what can lead to the experience of learned helplessness?

• A. Perceptions of control over stress
• B. Avoidance of stressful situations
• C. Attribution of having no control over stress
• D. Direct interventions from therapists

Answer: (C)

The experience of learned helplessness, as described by Martin Seligman, arises when individuals attribute their lack of control over stressful situations to a pervasive sense of helplessness. This belief often stems from past experiences where they faced uncontrollable stressors, leading them to generalize this perception to future challenges. When people perceive that their actions have no influence on outcomes, they may stop trying to alter their circumstances, believing that their efforts will be futile. This concept is crucial in understanding how negative outcomes and stressors can lead to a cycle of disengagement and despair. In contrast, perceptions of control over stress or avoidance may temporarily alleviate discomfort, but they do not fundamentally create the condition of learned helplessness, which is deeply rooted in one's cognitive attributions regarding their ability to effect change. Ultimately, learned helplessness highlights the impacts of cognitive processes in emotional and behavioral responses to stress.

The experience of learned helplessness, as described by Martin Seligman, arises when individuals attribute their lack of control over stressful situations to a pervasive sense of helplessness. This belief often stems from past experiences where they faced uncontrollable stressors, leading them to generalize this perception to future challenges. When people perceive that their actions have no influence on outcomes, they may stop trying to alter their circumstances, believing that their efforts will be futile.

This concept is crucial in understanding how negative outcomes and stressors can lead to a cycle of disengagement and despair. In contrast, perceptions of control over stress or avoidance may temporarily alleviate discomfort, but they do not fundamentally create the condition of learned helplessness, which is deeply rooted in one's cognitive attributions regarding their ability to effect change. Ultimately, learned helplessness highlights the impacts of cognitive processes in emotional and behavioral responses to stress.