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Learned Pelplessness & 1heorles of ConLrol

1he lnlual observauons:
CharacLerlsucs:
1heorles of Lhe lnLerference eecL:
uepresslon, healLh and personal conLrol:
Cuesuons you need Lo answer
Why dld Sellgman & Maler use a LrlparuLe
deslgn?
WhaL are Lhe long Lerm eecLs of
unconLrollable sLressors?
WhaL does p=0 mean?
Pow do aurlbuuonal sLyles modulaLe
unconLrollable sLress?
Pow can lnLroduclng conLrol lncrease healLh
and happlness?
lvan avlovs dlscovery of Lhe
sychlc 8eex
1he lnLerference eecL
SLress vs conLrollablllLy
rlor experlence wlLh conLrol, eecL of slgnallng
evenL.
1rans-slLuauonalllLy
CLher observauons:
Appeuuve learnlng, anxleLy, depresslve-llke sLaLe
Sellgman, Maler & Solomons (1971) Lheory
of learned helplessness
Mouvauonal, cognluve, emouonal aspecLs.
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Why was so lmporLanL abouL
learned helplessness?
A role for conungency and noL mere
conugulLy ln learnlng
A role for cognluons ln learnlng, behavlour
and mouvauon
lL's llnk Lo depresslon
Conungency learnlng
Conungencles:
lf and only lf x, Lhen ?
1o deLermlne a conungency we need Lo know Lwo blLs
of lnformauon:
robablllLy LhaL ? wlll occur aer x, p(?/x)
robablllLy LhaL ? wlll occur ln absence of x, p(?/nox)
Conungency ls:
= p(?/x) - p(?/nox)
Lxperlence of conLrol
eople reporL a sub[ecuve feellng of conLrol lf
osluve relauon beLween response 8 and
consequence C (behavlour can lnduce C)
= p(C/8) - p(C/no8) > 0
negauve relauon beLween response 8 and
consequence C (behavlour can lnhlblL C)
= p(C/8) - p(C/no8) < 0
Learned helplessness when:
no relauon beLween 8 and C
= p(C/8) - p(C/no8) = 0
1heory of LP
Learned helpless = experlence wlLh non-
conungency lnLerferes wlLh learnlng abouL
conungencles.
roblems wlLh LP Lheory:
Why are some people suscepuble Lo LP and
oLhers arenL?
Aurlbuuonal sLyles
Abramson, Sellgman, 1easdale, 1978
Aurlbuuon of cause:
When an evenL occurs, people Lend Lo Lry Lo
explaln lLs cause, Lo aurlbuLe lL Lo someLhlng.
SLable or unsLable,
Clobal or speclc,
lnLernal or exLernal.
CLher Lheorles of LP
8esponse compeuuon
AnxleLy
Auenuon
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uepresslon
AuempL Lo llnk LP wlLh depresslon
Slmllar surface characLerlsucs,
Slmllar neurochemlsLry,
Popelessness depresslon
ls negauve evenL lmporLanL and global/sLable?
Are consequences lmporLanL & sLable?
uoes lL aecL self-esLeem?
uepresslve reallsm
8esulLs
8esldenLs self reporL (ConLrol vs passlve):
lncrease ln happlness, acuvlLy
lnLervlewer reporLed lncreased alerLness
nurses raLed lncreases ln:
Ceneral healLh
1lme vlslung pauenLs, oLher people, Lalklng Lo
sLa
More lnvolvemenL ln acuvlues
Less ume ln passlve acuvlues
Cuesuons you need Lo answer
Why dld Sellgman & Maler use a LrlparuLe
deslgn?
WhaL are Lhe long Lerm eecLs of
unconLrollable sLressors?
WhaL does p=0 mean?
Pow do aurlbuuonal sLyles modulaLe
unconLrollable sLress?
Pow can lnLroduclng conLrol lncrease healLh
and happlness?
8eadlngs
8ouLon pages:
Learned helplessness 389-394
Conungeny learnlng 93-93.
Lolordo, vM Learned helplessness and depresslon.
ln Anlmal research and human healLh : advanclng
human welfare Lhrough behavloral sclence / ChapLer
3. (ln Llbrary reserve, search by auLhor)