Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman - Wikispaces

Learned Optimism
by Martin Seligman

My best bits
By Ella Duvall

Why a book review?

• Inspiring author

Seligman‟s masters research launched his career

• Paradigm breaking research

Learned helplessness debunked Behaviourism

 Broad range of applications

Workplace, health, schools, mental health…gambling!

• Self-help based on research

Presents a case of optimism being optimal and can be learned.

Seligman and Maier (1967):

Condition 1: dogs received shocks which they could control
Condition 2: dogs received shocks which they did not control
Condition 3: dogs received no shocks

Shuttle box

Why a book review?

• Inspiring author

Seligman‟s masters research launched his career

• Paradigm breaking research

Learned helplessness debunked Behaviourism

 Broad range of applications

Workplace, health, schools, mental health…gambling!

• Self-help based on research

Presents a case of optimism being optimal and can be learned.

What is optimism?

“The basis of optimism does not lie in positive
phrases or images of victory, but in the way you
think about causes” Seligman.

• Optimists have a „temporary‟, „specific‟ and
„external‟ attributional style of bad events

• Measured Attribution Style Questionnaire (ASQ)
and Content Analysis Verbatim Explanations
(CAVE)

What is so good
about optimism?

•Bouncing back from defeat

What is so good
about optimism?

•Bouncing back from defeat
•Success in work and play

What is so good
about optimism?

•Success in work and play
•Bouncing back from defeat
•Good health

Causal model of mental states in
health

Loss pessimism
catecholamine depletion

endorphin secretion
depletion immune

supression

What is so good
about optimism?

•Success in work and play

•Bouncing back from defeat

•Good health
•Good mental health- fewer
depressions

Are there any
benefits to
pessimism?

• Rational and realist

Are there any
benefits to
pessimism?

• Rational and realist

• Appropriateness

Are there any
benefits to
pessimism?

• Rational and realist

• Appropriateness

• Safer decisions

Can you change your levels of
optimism ?.. Yes!

• Why? We aren‟t all natural optimists

• How? Change explanatory style is the foundation
of CBT

1) Distraction 2) Disputation 3) Distancing

• When? Seligman proposes flexible optimism

Some extra take home points
about -Research Methods-

• Seligiman has built a research career in the face
of a lot skepticism

• “your critic was really your ally helping you
advance on reality”

• Seligman‟s research experiments were simple and
well designed

• Methods: Quanti and quali designs

To conclude, I have chosen to
present about a book today for the
richness in personality and history it

supplies for a research field.

Thank you for listening.