Dictionary of Psychotherapy
Learned helplessness
Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in which one has learned to believe that one is helpless in a particular situation, has no control over the situation, and stays passive in the face of an unpleasant, harmful or damaging situation. Depression might result from a perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation (Seligman, 1975).
In accordance with the attribution theory (Weiner, 1979) people encountering aversive events try to make causal explanation which includes the dimensions of globalization, stability and internality. Explanatory style refers to an individual’s habitual way of assigning causes to negative events. Particular style, such as pessimistic explanatory style of causal attribution, may lead to the loss of self-esteem, uncontrollability and then generality of helplessness. There are the elements of attribution theory to reformulate the theory of helplessness (Abraham, Seligman and Teasdale, 1978).
There is a distinction between people who adapt and those who break down, under long term psychological pressure.
Helplessness is associated with passivity, uncontrollability, and disruption at subsequent problem-solving tasks.
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