A Patient's Rights to Refuse Treatment and How it Relates to Learned Helplessness of Individuals

A Patient's Rights to Refuse Treatment and How it Relates to Learned Helplessness of Individuals

The concept of learned helplessness was first suggested by M. Seligman

an animal psychologist, in 1975. During a series of experiments

involving rats and dogs, he discovered that the animals which had some

control over their environment (in being able to prevent a series of

electric shocks) would always try to avoid the undesirable stimulus;

whereas the animals which had previously had no control over their

environment (and so were unable to prevent the shocks) eventually

became apathetic and would not try to escape the stimulus, even if it

was possible to do so.

It was found that

“Because these animals have learned that nothing they did work, they

did nothing.” [Page 237] (Brannon & Feist, 1992)

The animals concerned had therefore learned to be helpless, but had

also learned to apply this helplessness to other situations, where

there was no perceived controllability.

The concept of learned helplessness has been criticized, however.

Skevington (1995) notes three studies that criticize learned

helplessness, namely Dent & Teasdale (1988), Lewinsohn et al. (1981)

and Skevington (1993). Skevington (1995) states

“All three studies showed little support for the learned helplessness

antecedent hypothesis that depressive attributions precede

depression.” [Page 147] (Skevington, 1995)

With particular regard to the duration of arthritis, Skevington (1995)

maintains that learned helplessness is not a significant feature, a

position she also maintains for chronic low back pain sufferers.

However Skevington (...

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