Reducing addiction: behavioural interventions
Aversion therapy is a behavioural intervention for addiction based on CC.
addiction can be reduced by exploiting the same CC process that caused it, but
by associating the substance/behaviour w an unpleasant state
(counterconditioning).
Aversion therapy for alcohol addiction – client is given an aversive drug such as
disulfiram. This interferes w the normal bodily process of metabolising alcohol
into harmless chemicals. This means someone who drinks alcohol while taking
disulfiram will experience severe nausea and vomiting. The aim of treatment is
for a client to learn a new association. Alcohol CS produces expectation of
nausea and vomiting CR. So drug is UCS, vomiting is UCR, NS alcohol, CS
alcohol, CR vomiting.
Aversion therapy for gambling addiction – associate an electric shock w the
addiction. They don’t cause permanent damage but are painful as they are
aversive. When reading out a gambling related behaviour they will get
shocked. The intensity and duration and preselected by client to be painful but
less distressing. After repeated pairings, the pain UCR, becomes associated w
gambling related behaviours NS now CS, so the client’s cravings subside and
they stop gambling.
Ao3 aversion therapy:
Limitation is studies of aversion therapy have methodological problems. Hajek
and stead reviewed 25 studies of AT and concluded it was impossible to judge
the effectiveness of aversion therapy because most studies had
methodological problems like failure to blind the procedures so the
Aversion therapy is a behavioural intervention for addiction based on CC.
addiction can be reduced by exploiting the same CC process that caused it, but
by associating the substance/behaviour w an unpleasant state
(counterconditioning).
Aversion therapy for alcohol addiction – client is given an aversive drug such as
disulfiram. This interferes w the normal bodily process of metabolising alcohol
into harmless chemicals. This means someone who drinks alcohol while taking
disulfiram will experience severe nausea and vomiting. The aim of treatment is
for a client to learn a new association. Alcohol CS produces expectation of
nausea and vomiting CR. So drug is UCS, vomiting is UCR, NS alcohol, CS
alcohol, CR vomiting.
Aversion therapy for gambling addiction – associate an electric shock w the
addiction. They don’t cause permanent damage but are painful as they are
aversive. When reading out a gambling related behaviour they will get
shocked. The intensity and duration and preselected by client to be painful but
less distressing. After repeated pairings, the pain UCR, becomes associated w
gambling related behaviours NS now CS, so the client’s cravings subside and
they stop gambling.
Ao3 aversion therapy:
Limitation is studies of aversion therapy have methodological problems. Hajek
and stead reviewed 25 studies of AT and concluded it was impossible to judge
the effectiveness of aversion therapy because most studies had
methodological problems like failure to blind the procedures so the
