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'''Learned helplessness''' is
'''Learned helplessness''' is an important theory of [[psychology]] discovered accidentally by Dr. [[Martin E. P. Seligman]]. Dr. Seligman was experimenting with dogs who had been [[classically conditioned]] to expect a shock after hearing a tone. Those dogs were placed in room where part of the floor was electrified and part was not. The dogs which had been conditioned to expect the shock made no effort to escape the shock even if it meant little effort.
an important theory of [[psychology]] developed by Dr. [[Martin E. P. Seligman]]. "This theory, backed up by years of research, is that a great deal of [[depression]] grows out of a feeling of [[helplessness]]: the feeling that you cannot control your environment." [http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/chapters/fog0000000057.html]
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The idea is that when subjugated to adverse conditions for long enough an animal, or a human, stops fighting the conditions and just learns to live with them and will not try to overcome them because of the appearance of futility.<ref>http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/learned_helplessness.html</ref>
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==Implications for Human Psychology==
"This theory, backed up by years of research, is that a great deal of [[depression]] grows out of a feeling of [[helplessness]]: the feeling that you cannot control your environment." [http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/chapters/fog0000000057.html]
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People who suffer from domestic violence, bullying, depression, drug abuse, and alcoholism often experience some level of learned helplessness. This may manifest in a feeling of worthlessness, guilt, embarrassment, powerlessness, and shame.
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[[Battered Woman Syndrome]] is the prototypical example of learned helplessness where a woman just expects the abuse and does nothing to stop it.
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Psychology]]