Aversion Therapy Describe

Question 1

What is the link to Behaviourist assumptions?

Answer 1

• Abnormal behaviour is a result of maladaptive, faulty learning
  *Addicted to drugs through classical conditioning
• To break it down we must systematically break down faulty associations and replace them with a more functioning response through counter conditioning

Question 2

What is Aversion Therapy designed to do directly?

Answer 2

To cause individuals to develop an intense dislike or feeling of disgust (an aversion) to a particular stimulus.

Question 3

What can it be used to treat?

Answer 3

A variety of addictions such as alcoholism

Question 4

What are the 3 main steps of AT?

Answer 4

1) Medical examination and health check to ensure they are fit, well and able to proceed.
2) Educating the client - based on CC, learned association between an aversive stimuli and the clients addictive behaviour.
3) The conditioning

Question 5

Describe the conditioning process with an example

Answer 5

UCS = antabuse drug leads to UCR = nausea
UCS = drug + NS = alcohol leads to the UCR = nausea
CS = alcohol, leads to CR = nausea

After a number of pairings the addictive behaviour will elicit the desire to avoid feelings of sickness, decreasing the behaviour.

Question 6

What is covert sensitization?

Answer 6

Suggestion of an aversive stimuli rather than the reality of it.