Martin Seligman

Presentations by Martin Seligman are humorous and fascinating explorations of psychology or, more specifically, positive psychology.

As an academic, Seligman is well known for his work on the theory of 'Learned Helplessness.' This theory purports that humans and sufficiently intelligent animals often learn helplessness from various experiences and will resort to perceptions of helplessness despite opportunities present in their environment. As pointed out in presentations by Martin Seligman, for much of its history, psychology has been focused on pointing out what is wrong with people rather than focused on wellness and happiness. Seligman seeks to correct this in his work.

In terms of his own education, Seligman holds an undergraduate from Princeton University and earned his Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is currently the Director of the Positive Psychology Center.