Depression Learning Theory Depression is the result of
- Slides: 8
Depression – Learning Theory § Depression is the result of a person’s interaction with their environment sychlotron. org. § Classical conditioning § Operant conditioning
Learning Theory & Depression stimuli & negative emotional states § Removal of positive reinforcement from the environment § Inadvertent reinforcement of depressed behaviour by others § Learned helplessness sychlotron. org. § Learned association between certain
Learned Helplessness § If a person learns that their behaviour sychlotron. org. makes no difference to their aversive environment, they may stop trying to escape from aversive stimuli even when escape is possible.
sychlotron. org. Learned Helplessness
sychlotron. org. Learned Helplessness
sychlotron. org. Learned Helplessness
Learned Helplessness § Seligman (1974) § Dogs subjected to inescapable electric shocks later failed to escape from shocks even when it was possible to do so § People subjected to inescapable noise, insoluble problems later gave up trying in similar situations, similar to Seligman’s dogs sychlotron. org. § Maier & Seligman (1976)
Learned Helplessness § Learned helplessness does have similarities to depressed behaviour in humans § Findings are inconsistent § Helplessness in humans depends a great deal on the cognitions people have about their situation sychlotron. org. § Unexplained gender differences § Some studies show inescapable situations facilitate later escape behaviour
