PHR Library

Martin Seligman, PhD, responds to the PHR Report "Aiding Torture"

The Physicians for Human Rights report Aiding Torture: Health Professionals’ Ethics and Human Rights Violations Revealed in the May 2004 CIA Inspector General’s Report (Aug, 2009)  stated that Martin Seligman, PhD, a psychologist who originated the study of “learned helplessness,” presented his research to CIA contract interrogators on at least two occasions. According to the CIA Inspector General report, these contract interrogators were among the designers and implementers of highly abusive interrogation techniques utilized on national security detainees during the Bush Administration.

On September 1, 2009, Dr. Seligman contacted the authors of the PHR report. Dr. Seligman stated that he had no role in training CIA contract interrogators and that he was deeply troubled that his work was misapplied in abusive interrogations (PDF).

PHR relied upon the following published accounts in referencing Dr. Seligman’s contact with CIA interrogators:

• Interrogation Inc.: 2 U.S. Architects of Harsh Tactics in 9/11’s Wake. Scott Shane. New York Times, August 12, 2009. 
• The Dark Side. Jane Mayer. Doubleday, 2008. Page 164.
• Six Questions for Jane Mayer, Author of the Darkside. Scott Horton. Harpers, July 14, 2008.