Helplessness (Depression) \'Resistance Is Futile:\'

¶ … Helplessness (depression)

'Resistance is futile:' Learned helplessness and the development of depression

Does the psychological phenomenon of learned helplessness cause depression? The hypothesis of the experiment conducted by Martin Seligman and Steve Maier suggests that although learned helplessness seems mainly like a symptom of depression, the phenomenon of learned helplessness is actually a cause of depression.

Study methods and procedures

To test their hypothesis, Seligman and Maier conducted an experiment in which dogs were subject to harmless but painful electric shocks. In one experimental group, the dogs could end the shock by pressing a lever, while in the other experimental group the dogs could not end the shock, no matter how many times the animal pressed the lever. Each dog in the second experimental group had to wait until his unseen partner figured out how to press the lever correctly to end the shock. This was to ensure that the different pairs of dogs received shocks of the same duration and intensity. A control group received no shocks.

The dogs that were given no control over when the shocks terminated experienced weight loss and withdrawal, while the (non-shocked) control group and the experimental group given control over the shocks did not experience depressive symptoms.

In the second phase of the experiment, when dogs were given the option of escaping the shocks by jumping over a wall, the dogs who had been given no control over their shocks in the 'learned helplessness' experimental group did not try to resist the pain and merely cried. Both the control group and the dogs that had been given the power to stop the shocks by pressing a lever quickly learned to escape the shocks by jumping over the wall.

Main results of the study

Confirming the hypothesis that it is possible to learn to be depressed, it was revealed that even animals can be coached into a state of 'learned helplessness' when repeatedly placed in a situation which teaches them that resistance is futile when faced with unpleasant stimuli. The dogs subject to mild, but painful electrical shocks who were placed in an environment where they could not resist the sensation eventually ceased to exhibit normal 'resistant' behavior, even after they were transferred to an environment where they could escape the shocks by jumping over a fence.

Significant applications and/or implications of the study

Learned helplessness can lead to depression. A lack of a sense of autonomy and control over one's environment can lead to socially withdrawn behavior and a refusal to actively try to change negative aspects of the world. The applicability of the dog study to human life is manifest in many healthcare settings, in which elderly or ailing persons' mental states often dramatically decline when they are no longer able to physically care for themselves, which generates a sense of learned helplessness. Encouraging people to retain a sense of control over their lives is essential to for them to sustain a positive mindset.

Another study revealed that while an experimental group of infants easily learned to control the movements of a mobile with their head with pressure-sensitive pillows, the control group that was initially put in cribs with randomly turning mobiles took far longer to learn the skill, given that they had already 'learned' that they had no control over the actions of the revolutions of the toy, and that to try to have control was futile.

The dog study and subsequent research thus provides suggestions in terms of how to structure a care environment for the elderly, young, and sick. The studies should also stimulate self-consciousness on the part of the reader. Almost everyone has some sort of unproductive psychological defense mechanism, some of which may cause the perpetuation of unproductive ways of thinking and behaving. 'Learned helplessness' is a common human phenomenon that can result in people remaining in jobs that are not satisfying, staying in abusive relationships, or simply not taking an initiative when confronted with adversity. If individuals have little sense of autonomy early in life, this can lead to a lack of a willingness to try to control the environment and depression in the future.

'Learned helplessness' is not often a symptom of trauma. Many of the survivors of the World Trade Center attacks, for example, exhibited a kind of posttraumatic psychological growth, and learned from their experiences. Individuals who witnessed the events vicariously and suffered anxiety and depression seemed to show more exclusively negative symptoms. This suggests that they experienced the 'learned helplessness' effect. Unlike the people who escaped or provided aid, the witnesses felt helpless in the face of tragedy.