Aversion Therapy

• What is the aim of aversion therapy?

  To cause individuals to develop an intense dislike or feeling of disgust - an aversion to a particular stimulus.
• What are the components of aversion therapy?

  • classical conditioning
  • operant conditioning
  • covert sensitisation
  • new developments
• Classical conditioning in aversion therapy

  • the client is repeatedly presented with an aversive/unpleasant stimulus while they are engaging in an undesirable behaviour (NS).
  • the aversive stimulus, such as a drug with unpleasant symptoms, is the UCS which produces the UCR of avoidance.
  • eventually the NS becomes associated with the UCS and the client loses their wish to engage in the behaviour
• Operant conditioning in aversion therapy

  • once an association has been made, through classical conditioning, between the once-pleasant behaviour and the unpleasant response, the client will avoid future contact with the stimulus
  • now, negative reinforcement is in operation as the individual is avoiding something unpleasant so avoiding the undesirable behaviour
• Covert sensitisation

  • a type of aversion therapy that relies on the client's ability to use their imagination, instead of actually experiencing the unpleasant consequence
  • the client will be encouraged by the therapist to imagine an upsetting, frightening or unpleasant scene which progressively worsens, while they are engaging in the undesirable behaviour
  • eventually they will associate the behaviour with the thoughts and lose their wish to engage in the behaviour
• New developments

  • researchers have developed new drugs that make users feel sick if mixed with alcohol but also reward abstinence by inducing feelings of tranquility and well-being.
  • they offer an incentive to continue with the treatment
• What are the strengths of aversion therapy?

  • research to support
  • covert sensitisation
  • new developments
• What are the weaknesses of aversion therpay?

  • research
  • dropout rates
  • symptom substitution
  • effects not long term
• What are the ethical issues of aversion therapy?

  • treatment of homosexuality
  • consent but lack of control
• Research to support - strength

  • Smith et al (1997) found that alcoholics treated with aversion therapy had higher abstinence rates after one year than those treated with counselling alone
  • Smith (1998) reported success with a group of 300 smokers as 52% of those treated with electric shocks maintained their abstinence after one year
• Covert sensitisation - strength

  • allows patients to be discouraged from the undesirable behaviour without having to physically suffer the consequences of drugs or electric shocks
  • it is more ethical and reduces risk of physical harm
• New developments - strength

  • Badawy (1999) developed new drugs that both cause and reward abstinence by causing unpleasant feelings when engaging in the undesirable behaviour and causing pleasant feelings during abstinence.
• Research - weakness

  • Miller (1978) compared the effectiveness of aversion therpay, counselling and counselling plus aversion therapy. After one year all groups had recovered equally, indicating that aversion therapy offers no benefit.
• Dropout rates - weakness

  • Bancroft (1992) reported that up to 50% of patients either refuse treatment or drop out, which makes the therapy difficult to evaluate as only willing and motivated participants engage.
• Effects not long term - weakness

  • recovery/effects are not likely to transfer to the outside world, where the punishing consequences have disappeared.
  • Pavlov's research on classical condition showed that a conditioned response (e.g. abstinence) can be extinguished when the stimulus (e.g. smoking) is no longer paired with the UCS (e.g. nauseating drugs)
• Symptom substitution- weakness

  • the behaviourist approah believes that the undesirable/maladaptive behaviour is the disorder so there is no underlying cause to be treated. While original symptoms may be removed, new symptoms may appear (e.g. an alcohol addiction being replaced by a gambling addiction). This happens because there is an unidentified and untreated underlying cause (e.g. addiction)
• Treatment of homosexuality - ethical issue

  • it was used in the UK and USA until 2006, when the American Psychiatric Association deemed it too unethical
  • men were given drugs to make them feel nauseous and were placed in dirty surroundings while looking at pictures of males in an attempt to make them associate unpleasantness with males
  • in 1962, Billy Clegg-Hill died after receiving aversion therapy to 'cure' his homosexuality and the vomit-inducing drug he was given caused his death
• Consent but lack of control - ethical issue

  • it is unpleasant for the patient so it is very unethical
  • the techniques such as electric shocks have been criticised for exerting too much control over participants and 'brainwashing' them into continuing with the treatment
  • the treatment can't be done without valid consent but people who have undergone aversion therapy have often said that they felt like they had a lack of control and feared for their life.