This term was introduced by Martin P. Seligman, Ph.D., in Learned Optimism (Vintage, 2006). It refers to the habitual way a person explains events, especially setbacks, to themselves and to others.
Parents unconsciously pass their Explanatory Style on to their children through everyday language: the way they explain mistakes, successes, accidents, effort, luck, ability, and responsibility.
Children absorb these explanations as templates for how the world works. A parent with an optimistic Explanatory Style teaches a child to see problems as narrow, temporary, and external.
A pessimistic style teaches the opposite: problems feel broad, lasting, and self. Over time, these patterns shape a child’s Identity, confidence, and resilience.
Seligman’s research showed that a parent’s explanatory style is the single biggest influence on how a child forms their own sense of self, what we call their IDQ (Identity Quotient).
In the 7 Skills to impress™, Explanatory Style focuses specifically on how a parent’s language reveals a High or Low IDQ mindset, and how this affects the client (or child) who hears it. A High IDQ Explanatory Style elevates Identity, builds capability, and reinforces safety. A Low IDQ Explanatory Style can unintentionally lower self-belief or make problems feel overwhelming.
(See also Elevate Formula).