Martin Seligman

Martin E.P. Seligman (Albany, New York, 12 August 1942) is an American psychologist and writer. He is well known for his work on the idea of "learned helplessness", and more recently, for his contributions to leadership in the field of Positive Psychology.According to Haggbloom et al's study of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th Century, Seligman was the 13th most frequently cited psychologist in introductory psychology textbooks throughout the century.Seligman is the Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychology. He was previously the Director of the Clinical Training Program in the department. Seligman has served as President of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division of Clinical Psychology. In 1996, Seligman was elected President of the APA[2] by the widest margin in its history. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Prevention and Treatment Magazine (the APA electronic journal), is on the Board of Advisors of Parents Magazine, and is Chairman of the Scientific Board at Foresight, Inc.Seligman is also a best selling author, writing about Positive Psychology topics such as The Optimistic Child, Learned Optimism, and, in 2002, Authentic Happiness. He also wrote What You Can Change and What You Can't.
"Positive psychology", the study of optimal human functioning, is an attempt to respond to the systematic bias inherent in psychology's historical emphasis on mental illness rather than on mental wellness. Some humanistic psychologists developed theories along these lines, but without solid empirical support. The pioneering research of a new generation of psychologists has led to a renewed interest in this approach, providing a firm scientific foundation for the study of human happiness and optimal function, thus adding a positive side to the predominantly negative discipline of psychology.