7/31/2019 Seligmans Abcd Theory Explanation

1/2

It's much easier to be optimistic if you come from a family where yourparents were understanding of your failures and attributed them toexternal, rather than internal, factors. Families that have experienced majortraumas but cope and recover from adversity also produce more optimisticoffspring. Parents of optimists encourage their children to deal with

setbacks in an optimistic way and differentially reinforce optimism andpersistence. Optimism is also related to the ability to delay gratification andforgo short-term gains in order to achieve long-term goals, probablybecause optimistic people can have faith that long-term goals areachievable.

What if you weren't lucky enough to come from such a family? There's stillhope: "Learned Optimism" and "Authentic Happiness", both by MartinSeligman, are recommended books if you would like to become moreoptimistic - and thus happier. It is an easy read, intended for the layperson.Seligman has found success in teaching a form of learned optimism topeople with a pessimistic explanatory style, using the ABCDE approach.ABC" refers to how we react negatively to success or adversity, while "DE"refers to how we can rethink the pessimistic reaction into an optimistic one.The letters are defined as follows:

A (Adversity). Recognize when adversity hits. For die-hard pessimists,successes are a form of adversity; they say, "It wont last," I was just lucky,"or Too little, too late."

B (Beliefs). Be aware of what you believe about the adversity. Check

out:

C (Consequences). Be aware of the emotional and otherconsequences of your belief about that adversity.

D (Disputation). Question whether your beliefs are the onlyexplanation. For example, ask:

What is the evidence for my beliefs? What are other possible explanations for what happened?

What are the implications of my believing this way, and do they make itworth holding on to my beliefs? How useful are my beliefs? Do I or others get any benefits from holding onto them, or would we benefit more if we held other beliefs?

E (Energization). Be aware of the new consequences (feelings,behaviors, actions) that do or could follow from a different, more optimisticexplanation or set of beliefs.

Here is an example of the ABCDE model as applied to a specific situation.The train of thought went like this:

http://www.futurevisions.org/eq_opt_pwr.htmhttp://www.futurevisions.org/eq_opt_pwr.htmhttp://www.futurevisions.org/eq_opt_pwr.htmhttp://www.futurevisions.org/eq_opt_pwr.htm

7/31/2019 Seligmans Abcd Theory Explanation

2/2

1. I didnt finish this chapter by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday as Ipromised my wife and myself I would do. (Adversity)

2. Im an incurable procrastinator wholl never meet my goals. (Beliefs: apersonal, pervasive, and permanent explanation, which is therefore

pessimistic)

3. I might as well abandon this project and settle for a life of lessambitious projects. That way, my wife wont be disappointed with me whenI miss deadlines. (Consequence)

4. Wait a minute! Lots of writers set unrealistic deadlines. Besides, my wifeand I did several things together and with her parents that had a verypositive impact on our relationship. And if sticking to my schedule were soall-fired important to her, she could have insisted on doing some of thosethings without me. (Disputation)

5. Ill talk about my schedule with her and get her input on whether theremainder of the schedule is important to her. If not, Ill push my deadlinesback. If so, Ill ask her assistance and cooperation in finding ways to makemore time for writing. I really dont want to give up this project. Itsexciting, even if it is a little off-schedule. (Energization)

If you are a ruminator (someone who talks silently and continually tohimself or herself in a negative vein, as in "Im going to fail. Im nogood.. ."), then you need to learn more than just a more optimistic

explanatory style. You need to learn how to jerk away from the hold thatpessimistic thoughts have on you. Seligman suggests several distractingtechniques in his book, including wearing a rubber band on your wrist (snapit when you start ruminating) and creating physical distractions (such asslapping the wall or doing isometric exercises) as ways to pop thepessimistic preoccupation out of your mind.