Martin Seligman: Biography and Theories in Positive Psychology

Today the development and application of positive psychology is booming as that branch of psychology in charge of the scientific study of the optimal functioning of the human being and the development of his potential and well-being, seeking his happiness.

One of the pioneers in developing this type of psychology is Martin Seligman, who is also widely known for his studies on depression and for the concept of learned helplessness. This author has made, and in fact continues to do so, multiple contributions to the field of psychology throughout his life. That is why in this article we will review the biography of Martin Seligman.

• Related article: "Positive Psychology: How Can You Be Really Happy?"

Brief Biography of Martin Seligman

This well-known author has played an important role in the study of disorders such as depression and, more recently, that of well-being and happiness. Below we will see a brief summary of the stages of his life, his theories and his greatest contributions to psychology.

Birth and academic training

Martin Elias Peter Seligman was born on August 12, 1942 in the New York state of Albany, in the United States. In Albany he would study during primary and secondary education. Once it was finished, he would enroll at Princeton University to study Philosophy in 1960.

He graduated in 1964, doing so with top honors with the title Summa cum laude. After that he would receive offers from various universities to continue his studies with them, the author choosing the University of Pennsylvania. He studied Animal Psychology, obtaining a doctorate in psychology in 1967..

Seligman then began a fruitful career as a researcher.

• You may be interested: "History of Psychology: main authors and theories"

Professional performance and contributions to psychology

Initially, Martin Seligman served as an assistant professor at Cornell University, and later at Pennsylvania University, where he rose to become a professor of psychology. In 1980 he was appointed director of the clinical training program of the latter university, working for years in the treatment and research of depression and other disorders. Throughout his career, he made important contributions that would lead to him being widely recognized and receiving multiple awards.

However, the author would be aware that clinical psychology in general tends to focus only on the aspects that generate dysfunction and suffering of the person and treat them, there is no optimistic vision focused on reinforcing the elements that generate well-being. In 1990 the researcher turned his career upside down in order to focus on the study of happiness.

On the other hand, Seligman has developed various theories and contributions to the world of psychology. Let's see what they were.

About depression

Throughout the years of study he would be influenced by one of his teachers, the famous psychologist Aaron Beck, from which he would be inspired to study the functioning of the depressive disorder.

According to his theory about depression, this condition is the consequence, in part, of a problem of perception of reality, related to the feeling of loss of control and with how causes are attributed to positive or negative experiences: the negative ones seem caused by oneself, and the positive ones are the result of chance and the effects of others. This idea is related to attribution theories.

The learned helplessness

Once a doctorate, in 1967 he began researching at the University of Pennsylvania. He would start researching animals, specifically dogs, under a paradigm based on the operant conditioning.

During these experiments, in which electrical stimulation was used, Seligman was able to observe how animals subjected to previous experience in the who could not escape the aversive stimulation stopped trying to do so even when at other times they could have, manifesting passivity.

These experiments led to the birth of the theory of learned helplessness, which would be associated with the absence of activity of the depressed subjects: the depressed subject has learned that his performance does not change events and has no results, so he stops Act.

This theory would be an important contribution that would make it possible to advance in the generation of explanatory theories of different aspects of depression and the work focused on combating defenselessness. He also participated in the creation of various methods of treating this disorder based on confrontation and the change of negative automatic thoughts.

• Related article: "Learned helplessness: delving into the psychology of the victim"

Presidency of the APA and birth of Positive Psychology

During the year 1996 Martin Seligman was named president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a presidency that would be the opportunity to open new avenues of research and work for this science. His main objective during his tenure was to combine theoretical and practical knowledge.

In 1998 he proposed the search for a more positive psychology, not so focused solely on the pathological aspects of the psyche and behavior and that he would seek to study the aspects that make us feel well-being and happiness. Thus, positive psychology was founded in 2000 as a scientific study of human functioning. optimal, which has since contributed to the expansion, and the Virtues and Strengths Manual of the Character. Another relevant initiative was the prevention of war or ethnopolitical conflict.

During 2002 he developed the theory of true happiness, in which he proposed the development of strengths and characteristics to achieve it. During 2003 the Master of Applied Positive Psychology was created under his direction. Beginning in 2005 he was appointed director of the department of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2010 he reformulated his theory of authentic happiness, appearing the theory of well-being and the PERMA model, which studies what people choose to increase their level of well-being, including positive emotion, positive relationships, involvement, meaning and commitment.

• You may be interested: "History of Psychology: main authors and theories"

Present

During the last years Martin Seligman has published numerous publications (such as Flourish, in 2011) and given different conferences.

Today he continues to practice, at the age of 75, as director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center and professor at the department of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania (specifically with the title of Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology). He is also the director of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology and continues to act as a consultant in different organizations.