Final answer:
Martin E.P. Seligman is the psychologist who proposes that depression can be a response to learned helplessness. His research led to the development of the hopelessness theory of depression, which emphasizes the impact of perceived lack of control over negative life events on an individual's likelihood of becoming depressed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The psychologist who suggests that depression is largely a response to learned helplessness is Martin E.P. Seligman. Seligman's research, along with his colleagues, led to the reformulation of the learned helplessness model, emphasizing the role of attributions that make individuals feel powerless in the face of negative life events. The resulting feelings of helplessness can mirror those of depression, where individuals give up trying to change their situations, potentially leading to a state of depression. Seligman's theories have been instrumental in shaping the understanding of the psychological mechanisms that may lead to depression.
Learned Helplessness and Depression
The concept of learned helplessness developed from Seligman's experiments with dogs in the 1960s. Dogs that were subjected to inescapable electric shocks later did not try to escape when they could. This lack of initiative and passivity is akin to human behavior seen in depression. People who perceive their negative life events as uncontrollable may become helpless, stop trying to effect change, and potentially become depressed. The model was later expanded into what is known as hopelessness theory, which relates to the onset of major depressive disorder.
Humanistic Psychology
It is essential to distinguish Seligman's perspective from that of other psychologists mentioned in relation to humanistic psychology. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, both prominent humanistic psychologists, focused on the growth potential and self-actualization of individuals, shaping our understanding of self-determination and free will in contrast to the learned helplessness theory.