Developmental psychology: From learned helplessness to development

Abstract

The theory of learned helplessness was presented by Martin Seligman in the late 60s and the early 70s. According to this theory, the previous mental learning had a tremendous impact on future performance. Learned helplessness is a cognitive process that teaches people that staying in such a state leads them to passivity and inactivity, and can keep people stuck in the quagmire of backwardness. Previously, some authors presented articles on the theory of learned helplessness and development, but in this article, the connection between the two and the effect that learned helplessness has on self-concept is discussed. The purpose of this article is to identify the factors that play a role in the lack of development of societies in order to guide them to the path of development by raising developed people. In this research, there is a kind of correlation and causal relationship between two variables: the independent variable - the role of learned helplessness - on the dependent variable - development process. The method of collecting data is in the form of library and documentary studies. The difference between the real self and the ideal self is the beginning of tension and intellectual conflict, and such a process is associated with the thinking that no matter how much effort is made to get out of helplessness, success and progress will not be achieved, and this is exactly the basics that Seligman teaches us in Learned Helplessness.

Keywords

• learned helplessness
• development
• self-concept
• actual self
• ideal self