'''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. | '''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. |