How are Seligman’s concepts of learned helplessness and learned optimism related to Erikson’s theory?
What will be an ideal response?
According to Seligman, children can learn helplessness or optimism in early formative years. Similarly in Erikson’s first stage (sensory-oral) a child will learn to trust that his/her needs will be met (i.e., learn to be optimistic) or worry that they will not (i.e., learn to be pessimistic). In Erikson’s second stage (muscular-anal) a child either learns control, or shame and doubt (i.e., learns to be optimistic that s/he can control her/his environment or to be pessimistic that the environment can be controlled). In Erikson’s third stage (locomotor) a child either learns initiative or guilt, again implying that the child can potentially learn to take control over the environment. This is the internal aspect of Seligman’s attributional style. And during Erikson’s fourth stage (latency) a child can either learn a sense of competence (optimistic style) or a sense of inferiority (pessimistic style).
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