In 1974, Martin Seligman introduced the concept of 'learned helplessness' as a cognitive explanation for depression. Seligman’s theory posits that depression arises when an individual realizes their efforts to avoid adverse situations are futile. This realization leads to passivity, where individuals endure unpleasant stimuli or environments despite having opportunities to escape. Seligman's theory was derived from his research involving dogs. In his experiment, a dog in a divided cage learns to escape an electrified floor. However, if restrained and shocked, the dog eventually ceases attempts to escape. Dogs that experienced unavoidable shocks later didn't escape from shocks even when escape was feasible. They also showed symptoms akin to human depression, such as lethargy, passivity under stress, and loss of appetite. Seligman’s concept of learned helplessness in humans suggests that individuals stop trying to affect their surroundings after learning their helplessness from a lack of control over events. While this theory partly explains depression, it does not fully address the role of cognitions or thoughts.