aversion Therapy

• a behavioural therapy technique used to reduce undesirable behaviour. it pairs the stimulus that can cause deviant behaviour with some unpleasant stimulus, such as an electric shock or nausea-inducing drug, with repeated presentations, the two stimuli become associated and the person develops an aversion towards the stimuli which initially caused the deviant behaviour.
• classical conditioning

  two stimuli become associated when they frequently occur together.
• counterconditioning

  a version therapy uses the same principle but changes the association and replaces the pleasure with an unpleasant state
• is it effective?


  aversion therapy can be effective in reducing targeted behaviours in approximately 50-70% case . however, its effectiveness depends on factors such as the specific behaviour being treated, the treatment method, and whether the client continues to practice relapse prevention after treatment. it is illegal to use aversion therapy on minors for sexual reorientation in many states.
• aversion therapy to control crime


  an intervention for changing behaviour that has been misused throughout history e.g., it has been used to in the past to 'treat' homosexuality. homosexual men who had to undergo this treatment had to watch pictures of naked men, whilst being medically induced (electrocuted or violently ill) to rid them of what they believed to be unpleasant and arousing feelings towards men.

  it is criticised for being unethical and abusing human rights, people have died because of it and others had traumatic experiences.