Martin Seligman
Martin Seligman
The founder of positive psychology, who scientifically studied human strengths and happiness. He discovered the concept of learned helplessness and devoted his life to researching ways to enhance optimism and well-being.
Details
Martin Seligman (1942–)
An American psychologist and the founder of Positive Psychology. He served as president of the American Psychological Association (APA) and played a pivotal role in shifting psychology's focus from pathology to strengths and well-being.
In his early research, Seligman discovered Learned Helplessness — the phenomenon where repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative situations leads to giving up entirely. He saw this as a core mechanism of depression. Through this research, he also realized that Learned Optimism was possible.
After becoming APA president in 1998, he formally launched the positive psychology movement. He proposed the PERMA Model, identifying five elements of well-being: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. This model has been applied not only to individual happiness but also to education, organizations, the military, and many other fields.
💡 Real-Life Example
Psychology should be not just about fixing what is broken, but also about nurturing what is best.
This content is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical diagnosis.