Martin Seligman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Seligman
|
|
|---|---|
cropped.jpg)
Seligman in 2009
|
|
| Born | August 12, 1942 Albany, New York, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | |
| Known for |
|
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychology |
| Institutions | University of Pennsylvania |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Martin Elias Peter Seligman (born August 12, 1942) is an American psychologist, teacher, and author. He is well-known for his ideas on well-being and positive psychology. His theory of learned helplessness is also very popular among scientists and therapists. In 2002, a survey ranked Seligman as one of the most often quoted psychologists of the 20th century.
Seligman is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. He leads the university's Positive Psychology Center. In 1998, he was chosen to be the president of the American Psychological Association. He has also written books about positive psychology, like The Optimistic Child and Flourish.
Contents
Early life and education
Martin Seligman was born in Albany, New York. He went to public school and then to The Albany Academy. He studied philosophy at Princeton University, finishing in 1964. Later, he earned his PhD in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1967.
Learned helplessness
Seligman's ideas about "learned helplessness" started in 1967 at the University of Pennsylvania. He was studying depression. He and his team noticed something unexpected during their experiments with dogs. The dogs learned they couldn't escape an unpleasant situation. Even when they later had a chance to escape, they didn't try.
Seligman realized this could explain why some people feel helpless. He found that learned helplessness is when a person or animal learns to act helpless. This happens after they experience situations where they can't avoid something bad. Even if they later gain the power to change things, they might still act as if they can't. Seligman thought this was similar to how people with severe depression feel. He believed that depression can partly come from feeling like you have no control over what happens.
Positive psychology
Seligman worked with Christopher Peterson to create a different way of looking at mental health. They wanted to focus on what makes people strong and happy, not just what goes wrong. They created a book called Character Strengths and Virtues (2004).
For this book, they studied different cultures and times in history. They wanted to find a list of good qualities that people have always valued. Their list includes six main character strengths:
- Wisdom/knowledge: Being smart and curious.
- Courage: Being brave and persistent.
- Humanity: Being kind and loving.
- Justice: Being fair and a good leader.
- Temperance: Being self-controlled and forgiving.
- Transcendence: Appreciating beauty and having hope.
Each of these strengths has smaller parts. For example, temperance includes forgiveness and self-control. Seligman and Peterson believe that none of these virtues are more important than the others.
Well-being
In his 2011 book Flourish, Seligman wrote about his "Well-Being Theory." He explained that for something to be a part of well-being, it needs three things:
- It must help you feel good.
- People should want it for its own sake, not just to get something else.
- It must be measured separately from other parts of well-being.
Seligman identified five key parts of well-being, which he calls PERMA:
- Positive emotion: Feeling happy and joyful. This is how you feel inside.
- Engagement: Being totally focused on an activity, like being "in the zone."
- Relationships: Having good connections with friends, family, and others.
- Meaning: Feeling like your life has a purpose or serving something bigger than yourself.
- Achievement: Working towards and reaching goals, even if it's just for the feeling of accomplishment.
These ideas help people understand what makes a life truly fulfilling.
MAPP program
In 2003, Seligman helped start the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program. This program at the University of Pennsylvania was the first of its kind. It teaches people how to use positive psychology in their work and lives.
Personal life
Seligman enjoys playing bridge. He has won many championships in the game.
He has seven children and four grandchildren. He and his second wife, Mandy, taught five of their children at home. Seligman was also inspired by the work of another psychologist, Aaron T. Beck, in developing his own ideas.
See also
In Spanish: Martin Seligman para niños
