Final answer:
The statement is false; Martin Seligman's theory of learned helplessness suggests that uncontrollable events can lead to a state of helplessness which increases the risk of depression, not unlearned helplessness. His research also connected attribution styles with the onset of depression and how changing these cognitive patterns can reduce feelings of helplessness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Martin Seligman actually suggested the opposite of the statement provided. Seligman's theory is known as learned helplessness, which posits that experiencing uncontrollable and negative events can lead to a belief in one's inability to exert control over the environment, contributing to feelings of helplessness, and potentially resulting in depression. In his experiments, dogs subjected to inescapable electric shocks did not attempt to escape them later, even when it was possible, resembling the behavior seen in depressive humans. The idea of learned helplessness was extended to human psychology, proposing that individuals might develop depression when they perceive they have no control over the outcomes of their actions.
Over time, Seligman and colleagues have refined the theory, delving into the roles of attribution styles as an explanatory mechanism for depression. In particular, they suggest that when individuals make internal (blaming themselves), stable (believing the situation will not change), and global (seeing the issue as pervasive) attributions for negative events, they are more likely to feel helpless. These cognitive styles can lead to a sense that one lacks any agency in life's outcomes, which can be a factor in depression. Therapy and practice in healthy attribution styles can help mitigate these feelings, reducing the risk of depression.