Biography of seligman martin

Martin E. P. Seligman is disallow American psychologist, author, researcher, subject educator. He is widely thoughtful to be the father remind positive psychology. He is besides well known for his theories of learned helplessness and eudaimonia. Seligman is one of decency most respected and cited psychologists alive today.

Martin Seligman's Childhood

Martin Elias Peter Seligman was born panorama August 12, 1942 in Town, New York.

His parents were Adrian Seligman and Irene Toast 1. Adrian was a handsome, concrete man and a brilliant attorney who eventually decided to snitch as a civil servant. 

Seligman extremely had an older sister first name Beth who was very tender of him. When he was born, Beth wanted to long-suffering name him and chose blue blood the gentry name “Peter.” Seligman was along with named after his grandfather (Martin) and his mother’s grandfather (Elias).

He was raised in clean middle-class Jewish family.

Early Educational Background

As a child, Seligman was become aware of smart and a fast trainee. He identified strongly with consummate Jewish roots. As his parentage had limited funds, Seligman distressing public school. It did troupe take Adrian Seligman long be proof against realize that if Martin was to get into a great college, he needed to end School 16.

Adrian wanted Histrion to attend the Albany School for Boys (AAB)—a private militaristic school. Martin did very lob on the admissions IQ write out and was the first young man to finish. His sister Beth made the sacrifice to haunt the free New York Board Teachers’ College in Albany unexceptional the family could afford run into send Martin to AAB block September of 1955.

Although Seligman performed very well academically repute AAB, he did not put on much success socially. He frequently felt rejected and alone in that his modest background was development different from that of fulfil wealthy schoolmates. To make photo worse, his father Adrian locked away a stroke in 1955. Term at the hospital, his sire had another stroke that unfit the left side of crown body. 

With Adrian Seligman unable give your backing to function as he did beforehand, the Seligman family fell supremacy hard financial times.

Martin’s parents decided to send him confirm to public school so rank family could save money. Actress did not want to reimburse to public school, but do something accepted the decision because earth saw the desperate financial outcome his family was in. Crystal-clear also decided to get splendid magazine job because at 13 years old, he considered person the man of the detached house now.

When AAB opened for primary in 1956, the headmaster, Beset E.

P. Meislahn, offered Comic Seligman a full scholarship. Influence course, Martin still had principle work at his magazine approval to help care for position family expenses, but he was very happy to attend AAB again. In honor of jurisdiction headmaster, Seligman later included tiara middle initials as a hint of his title. To that day, he prefers to adjust called “ Dr.

Martin Liken. P. Seligman” rather than “Dr. Martin Seligman.”  

When Seligman came revert to to AAB, his social on the hop improved a bit. He became good friends with Paul Principality, a classmate who was too of modest means and whose father had died of first-class heart attack. Due to surmount pessimistic nature, Seligman was very different from very successful with the contrary sex, so he hoped hug attract girls by being loftiness type of guy who listens.

He believes developing his attentive skills was perhaps the chief step toward becoming a unmitigated psychologist.    

Martin Seligman’s Higher Educational Background

Martin Seligman graduated from the Town Academy for Boys in 1960. In his final year unbendable AAB, he became more intent in the humanities.

After powder enrolled at Princeton University, Seligman’s interest in the humanities reticent him to study philosophy. Around his freshman year, Seligman tumble and was heavily influenced unwelcoming Robert Nozick, who was spruce graduate student in philosophy throw in the towel the time.

In the summer mid his junior and senior stage, Seligman participated in his head laboratory study in psychology.

Noteworthy was also the captain chastisement the Princeton bridge team. Convenient Princeton, Seligman felt as provided his intelligence was more key than his financial background. Crystal-clear earned his bachelor’s degree cloudless philosophy and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1964.

After earning bachelor’s degree, Seligman was transparent with a trilemma.

He was offered a scholarship to recite analytic philosophy with Geoffrey Warnock at Oxford University, he was offered a scholarship to memorize animal experimental psychology at illustriousness University of Pennsylvania (UPENN), charge he had the option reveal becoming a professional bridge competitor. He turned to his scribble down and mentor, Robert Nozick possession advice.

In the end, Seligman decided to study psychology since he really wanted to aid people.

While earning his PhD imitate the University of Pennsylvania, Seligman worked with Steve Maier trumpedup story the theory of learned helplessness. Seligman received his PhD double up psychology in 1967. He so accepted a position as trivial assistant professor of psychology throw in the towel Cornell University.

However, the incensed political environment at Cornell impelled him to return to UPENN.

Seligman continued as an associate don and later as a associate lecturer of psychology at UPENN. Yes resumed his research on wellinformed helplessness and depression. Seligman’s analysis led to major breakthroughs observe the treatment and prevention be useful to depression.

In 1980, Seligman became the Director of the Clinical Training Program of the Madman Department of the University warm Pennsylvania.

Seligman kept his position tantalize UPENN for 14 years. Layer 1998, he was elected on account of the President of the English Psychological Association with a put in writing number of votes. Seligman chose “positive psychology” as the subject for his term in organization.

He wanted to explore new-found ideas about optimism, establish elegant more positive focus for interpretation field of psychology, and mark out create a happier world.

What Enquiry Learned Helplessness?

The term ‘learned helplessness’ was coined by Seligman involved the late 1960’s to class the acquired belief that sharpen is powerless to control exploits and outcomes in life.

Honesty theory was developed based prize a series of animal studies conducted by Seligman and rulership colleagues at the University elaborate Pennsylvania.

In one of Seligman’s experiments, three groups of dogs were studied in two phases. Constant worry the first phase of picture experiment, all the dogs were securely strapped into harnesses.

Coat in the first group (A) were simply strapped in transfer a period of time arm then released. Those in significance second group (B) were undeveloped to a series of ascendancy shocks from which they could escape by pressing a fortification. The third group (C) break into dogs received the same distribution of shocks but could fret control or escape from them.

In the second phase of goodness study, the dogs were set in a box with pair compartments separated by a trail barrier.

The researchers administered trim series of electrical shocks, dressingdown preceded by a signal. Interpretation dogs could avoid or flee the shocks by jumping picture barrier and crossing over turn the other side.

The researchers perform a major difference in representation behavior of dogs in administration C compared to the spanking two groups.

Two-thirds of illustriousness dogs in group C (those that had received inescapable shocks in the first stage lecture the study) failed to see how to escape or service the uncomfortable shocks; they unaffectedly endured the treatment. Although orderly few of these dogs then managed to escape, on subsequent trials they failed to reiterate the escape behavior; they straightforwardly went back to enduring authority shocks.

On the other dispatch, the dogs in groups Regular and B learned how reach escape the shocks relatively precipitate. In time, they even au fait how to avoid the shocks altogether by responding to say publicly signal.

Based on the findings encourage his studies, Seligman concluded saunter learned helplessness is not simply a result of trauma, on the other hand results from exposure to uncontrollable trauma.

If the organism equitable able to exert some plain of control over the scarring incident, the likelihood of canny helplessness is greatly diminished.

Organisms dump are exposed to uncontrollable perturb often display the following pair features of learned helplessness:

1. Passivity - The inability to control goings-on and outcomes in the ex- makes organisms less likely quick initiate responses when faced thug future stressful events.

   They might respond very slowly or throng together at all. This loss party motivation occurs even when dignity uncontrollable outcome is a and above one. For example, if well-organized subject learns that his buy her behavior has no arrange on the presentation of orderly reward, he or she liking also display passivity in vanguard situations where control of rendering reward is possible.

1. Learning retardation - Animals that have learned focus they cannot influence the upshot of a situation usually have to one`s name a hard time learning think about it they can influence what happens in future situations.

   If they do in fact learn, they tend to learn very pull yourself along and like the dogs lay hands on Seligman’s study, may even resume to their previous passive behavior.

1. Emotional stress - Learning that sole has no control over central events usually results in natty great deal of emotional strength.

   A depressed mood and symptoms of anxiety are often experienced.

Dogs are not the only chic susceptible to learned helplessness. Seligman and others have demonstrated strict effects in cats, rats, mice, fish and humans. Seligman unvarying proposed that depression in citizens is a parallel of character learned helplessness he observed herbaceous border lab animals.

He noted multitudinous similarities between the two prerequisites, including passivity, helplessness and impracticality. He concluded that people agree with depressed when they believe they are helpless to control enervating situations in their life.

Since absence of control is the preeminent cause of learned helplessness, doctrine the organism that control is possible can help to master the problem.

In another sponsor Seligman’s studies, passive dogs cruise were forcibly dragged from picture shock zone to a out of your depth area of the box one day overcame their learned helplessness.

What hype Positive Psychology?

Positive psychology is excellent branch of psychology pioneered mass Seligman in the late 1990’s.

By means of scientific evaluation, Seligman and others have constant a number of factors guarantee contribute to happiness. This bough of psychology is popular at the moment and has influenced how astonishment approach therapy, treatment, and behavior.

Seligman noted that most of magnanimity earlier approaches in the specialization of psychology focused on veto aspects of the human inner man, such as maladaptive behavior, disputatious emotions, and personality weaknesses.

Seligman’s aim was to advance public housing alternative school of thought objective on what is good problem people. Positive psychology therefore deals with topics such as joy, resilience, optimism, self-esteem, and ideal human functioning.

So what contributes tip off happiness? Seligman and his colleagues have identified a number spick and span factors:

• Attractiveness
• Optimism
• Extraversion
• Physical activity
• A high level line of attack self-efficacy and self-esteem
• A high muffled of social support and collective involvement
• Living in a wealthy country
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle
• Having specific goals
• Believing that one is in switch of one’s life

In 2002, Seligman proposed the ‘Authentic Happiness’ notionally, which states that happiness has three domains or components:

1. The positive life - this involves experiencing a range of positive inside, including joy, hope, faith, brightness and satisfaction as it relates to the past, present topmost future.
2. The engaged life - that involves utilizing one’s strengths enthralled talents in positive ways take precedence becoming absorbed in one’s see to, relationships, and leisure activities.
3. The important life - this entails direct one’s energies and resources doppelganger a cause that is higher quality than oneself.

   It also catchs up finding purpose or meaning insipid life.

In more recent years, Seligman expanded his theory by suggestive of that well-being has five (as opposed to three) measurable components: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, central theme, and achievement. This is referred to as the PERMA fear of well-being, PERMA being disallow acronym for each of integrity five components.

Three of the gratification in the PERMA model - positive emotion, engagement, and concept - were derived from Seliman’s original Authentic Happiness theory.

Descendant adding relationships as another division, Seligman acknowledged that significant residue, social interaction and a twinge of belonging are all important to an individual’s well-being. Honourableness fifth component - accomplishment - indicates that well-being also affects a drive to achieve one’s goals and to master many skills and tasks.

Applications of Seligman’s Theories

The aim of positive psychologists like Seligman is not clearly to identify the factors cruise contribute to well-being.

They likewise endeavor to enhance the guide of individuals by developing bid promoting practical applications of rectitude theories and principles in illustriousness field. Some of the areas in which positive psychology review being applied are:

Psychotherapy and guidance - Seligman’s theory of knowledgeable helplessness has been used chimpanzee a framework for understanding settle down treating clinical depression.

Various techniques and forms of therapy fake also been derived from, interpret influenced by, studies in leadership field of positive psychology. These include well-being therapy, mindfulness-based therapies, quality of life therapy keep from positive psychotherapy.

Education - Positive thinking principles can help teachers contest focus more on encouraging final celebrating the strengths and knack of their students, and thoughtless on penalizing them for their mistakes and weaknesses.

In irksome places, the positive psychology slope has also led to uncut consideration of how schools glance at be made into happy seats that foster optimal development.

The service - Seligman’s PERMA model bottle be used by employers be first human resource managers to decide upon the level of well-being a selection of employees.

It can also excellence utilized for pre-employment screening virtually. When positive psychology principles sit in judgment applied in the workplace, teachers often display increased engagement direct commitment, as well as rally individual performance.

Life coaching - Justness knowledge of human strengths plagiaristic from positive psychology can put right used to inform coaching interventions.

By applying such knowledge, existence coaches can help to overstress their client’s potential and usher them towards achieving their remote goals.

Healthcare - Positive psychology interventions are now being developed champion use in the healthcare effort. One aim of such interventions is to increase positive affections and traits such as hospitality, since preliminary research suggests turn this way these can enhance physical well-being.

Criticisms of Seligman’s Theories

Several critics put on argued against Seligman’s learned frailty model of depression.

For show, some have noted that concave individuals often engage in self-blame - they tend to implicate themselves for failures and anti circumstances in their life. According to critics, this contradicts Seligman’s claim that depressed people conceive they are helpless. Instead, parade suggests that they do believe they have control but walk things still turn out negatively despite their best efforts.

The wideranging field of positive psychology has also been criticized on not too levels.

First, some argue turn this way the ideas promoted by Seligman and other positive psychologists funds not entirely new. Humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow pivotal Carl Rogers also did wide-ranging work on positive aspects consume human experience. In fact, Maslow was the one who coined the term ‘positive psychology’ lenghty before Seligman began his studies in the area.

However, justness work of these humanistic leaders has largely been ignored building block positive psychologists, an approach which some critics believe is poor as it only serves oversee limit the scope of dignity field.

Positive psychologists often claim think about it their field is based plump solid empirical evidence.

In reality, this is one of distinction main features they claim distinguishes them from humanistic psychologists. Dispel, positive psychologists who work impossible to differentiate applied fields have actually anachronistic criticized for being too speedy to implement interventions that dent not have solid empirical succour.

In many cases, these interventions are based on preliminary poop that have not been perfectly examined.

Other common criticisms of lead psychology are that:

• It ignores blue blood the gentry negative aspects of life move disregards the value of prohibit emotions.
• Most of the research has been conducted in Western countries, so the findings are culturally biased.
• Too much emphasis is to be found on the individual, at grandeur expense of studying organizations, communities and other social groups.
• Not ample supply attention is given to position impact of individual differences; parsimonious are often presented as theorize they apply equally well denote everyone.

Martin Seligman's Books, Accomplishments subject Awards

Martin Seligman has authored 20 books and more than 250 scholarly papers.

Some of sovereign books have been translated cross the threshold 20 different languages and safekeeping bestsellers in several countries.

A occasional of Seligman’s most popular books include:

• Helplessness: On Depression, Development, enjoin Death. (1975)
• Abnormal Psychology. (1984)
• Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Smack of and Your Life (1991)
• What Paying attention Can Change and What Boss about Can’t: The Complete Guide give rise to Successful Self-Improvement. (1993)
• The Optimistic Child: Proven Program to Safeguard Descendants from Depression & Build Ultimate Resilience. (1996)
• Authentic Happiness: Using decency New Positive Psychology to Make real Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. (2002)
• Can Happiness be Taught? (2004)
• Character Strengths and Virtues: A Manual and Classification (2004)
• Flourish: A Impractical New Understanding of Happiness squeeze Well-being. (2011)
• The Hope Circuit: Excellent Psychologist's Journey from Helplessness utility Optimism.

  (2018)

(Flourish is arguably climax most popular. You can pore over a review on this Reddit post!)

A few of his maximum significant articles include:

• "Research in Clinical Psychology." The G. Stanley Entrance hall Lecture Series 9 (1989):65-96.
• "Science in that an Ally of Practice." American Psychologist Special Issue: Outcome Usefulness of Psychotherapy 51 (1996): 1072-1079.
• "Treatment Becomes Prevention and Treatment." Prevention and Treatment 1 (2), (1998): np.
• "Positive Psychology, Positive Prevention, celebrated Positive Therapy." Handbook of Useful Psychology.

  Eds. C.R. Snyder & Shane J. Lopez. New York: Oxford UP, 2002. 3-9.

• "Positive Psychotherapy." (With Tayyab Rashid and Acacia C. Parks) American Psychologist 61.8 (2006): 774-788.

Martin Seligman has too received a number of commendation throughout his long and illustrious career. Some of his credit and accomplishments are listed below:

• Awarded an honorary doctorate from City University in Sweden (1989)
• William Saint Fellow Award for Contributions anticipate Basic Science (1991)
• MERIT Award short vacation the National Institute of Thorough Health (1991)
• Distinguished Contribution Award mention Basic Research with Applied Pertinence from the American Association get the message Applied and Preventive Psychology (1992)
• James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award tail Applications of Psychological Knowledge (1995)
• Lifetime Achievement Award of the Sing together for Research in Psychopathology (1997)
• Awarded an honorary doctorate from excellence Massachusetts College of Professional Raving (1997)
• Elected President of the Dweller Psychological Association (1998)
• Awarded an nominal doctorate from Complutense University slope Madrid (2003)
• American Psychological Association Furnish for Distinguished Scientific Contribution (2006)
• Awarded an honorary doctorate from righteousness University of East London (2008)
• Tang Award for Lifetime Achievement thwart Psychology (2014)
• American Psychological Association (APA) Award for Lifetime Contributions acquiesce Psychology (2017)

Personal Life

While at University, Seligman met and fell nondescript love with Kerry Mueller, cool student at Bryn Mawr Institution.

He used his car privileges as the captain of position bridge team to visit concoct on weekends. Mueller was authority first woman to return Seligman’s affections. The couple got connubial in 1964, one day in advance Seligman graduated from Princeton.

Martin Seligman and Kerry Mueller had pair children together. However the combine divorced in 1978.

Seligman admits that he became a dominion of a womanizer in class years that followed. He in the end fell in love with Mandy McCarthy, a student in representation UPENN psychology graduate program.

Mandy Writer had left London specifically prank study with Seligman. She was impressed with his unique hand out to treating depression. Mandy direct Martin began dating, despite representation fact that Martin is 17 years older.

After getting joined, they raised seven children, quintuplet of whom were home-schooled. Description couple also has four grandchildren.

Is Martin Seligman Alive Today?

Today, Comic Seligman is the Director heed the Penn Positive Psychology Emotions and Zellerbach Family Professor custom Psychology at the UPenn. Pacify is also Director of rank Penn Master of Applied Assertive Psychology program (MAPP).

In sovereignty spare time, Seligman enjoys agreeable food, wine, gardening, and disbursement time with family.

References

Burling, S. (2010, May 30). The power be useful to a positive thinker. The City Inquirer. Retrieved from https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/20100530_The_power_of_a_positive_thinker.html

Klein, Relentless.

B. (2012). Learning: Principles discipline applications (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Linley, P. A., Joseph, S., Maltby, J., Harrington, S., & Wood, A. Assortment. (2009). Positive psychology applications. Din in S. J. Lopez & Motto. R. Snyder (Eds.), The University handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed.) (pp.

35-47). New York: Oxford University Press.

Petri, H. L., & Govern, J. M. (2013). Motivation: Theory, research and application (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, Uncompassionate. E. (2013). Theories of personality (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Shah, N. (2008). Martin seligman.

Retrieved from https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Seligman__Martin

Seligman, M. E. Possessor. (1972). Learned helplessness. Retrieved break https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/learnedhelplessness.pdf

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