therapy

• Aversion Therapy

  Patients are repeatedly presented with an aversive stimulus (electric shock, drug that causes nausea) at the same time that they are engaging in their undesirable behaviour
• How Aversion Therapy works

  1. Aversive stimulus is a UCS, which produces a UCR

  2. When the aversive stimulus is repeatedly paired with the undesirable behaviour, the patient loses the wish to engage in this behaviour

  3. Aversion therapy is usually used to treat alcoholism, drug abuse, aggression and sexual perversions
• Recent developments for treating alcoholism

  • Use of drugs that lead to feelings of nausea when mixed with alcohol, but also lead to feelings of tranquillity and well-being if the patient abstains from alcohol
  • Applies the principles of operant conditioning
• Covert sensitisation

  • Delivering the aversive stimulus by verbal suggestion rather than using a physical stimulus
  • Alcoholics are required to imagine repulsive or frightening scenes while they are drinking
• Effectiveness of Aversion Therapy

  • Smith et al found that alcoholics treated with aversion therapy had higher abstinence rates after a year compared to those treated with counselling
  • Smith also found that with aversion therapy, 52% of 300 smokers maintained abstinence after a year
  • Miller found no difference between the effectiveness of aversion therapy, counselling with aversion and counselling alone when treating alcoholism
• Patient drop-out rate of Aversion Therapy

  • Bancroft found that up to 50% of patients either refuse treatment or drop out
• Symptom substitution with Aversion Therapy

  The underlying cause is not treated e.g. alcohol addiction being substituted with gambling addiction
• Ethical considerations of Aversion Therapy

  • Patients usually give consent and have the right to withdraw
  • Patients suffer physical harm whist being exposed to the aversive stimulus e.g. nausea, pain
  • Patients suffer psychological harm as anxiety can increase during therapy
  • The use of punishments in therapy are controversial as the well-being of the individual may suffer