behavioural interventions Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is aversion therapy?
A behavioural intervention using classical conditioning to associate addiction with unpleasant outcomes.
What principle is aversion therapy based on?
Classical conditioning.
What is the aim of aversion therapy?
To create a new association between the addictive behaviour and an unpleasant response.
How does aversion therapy work for alcohol addiction?
Clients are given disulfiram, which causes severe nausea when alcohol is consumed.
What does disulfiram do?
It interferes with alcohol metabolism, causing nausea when alcohol is consumed.
What is the conditioned response in aversion therapy for alcohol?
Nausea/vomiting when drinking alcohol.
What unpleasant stimulus is used in aversion therapy for gambling?
An electric shock.
How are electric shocks used in gambling addiction treatment?
Clients receive a shock when shown gambling-related phrases.
What becomes the conditioned stimulus in gambling aversion therapy?
Gambling-related cues.
What is the unconditioned response in aversion therapy?
Pain or discomfort.
What becomes the conditioned response in gambling aversion therapy?
Reduced craving/stopping gambling.
What is covert sensitisation?
A behavioural treatment where the client imagines an unpleasant stimulus associated with the addiction.
How does covert sensitisation differ from traditional aversion therapy?
It uses imagined rather than actual unpleasant experiences.
How is covert sensitisation delivered?
The therapist reads a script and the client imagines unpleasant consequences.
What is the client encouraged to do before covert sensitisation begins?
Relax.
What might a client imagine in covert sensitisation for gambling?
Winning a bet then vomiting or being shamed.
What is the goal of covert sensitisation?
To associate addiction-related behaviour with unpleasant imagined consequences.
What are the ethical advantages of covert sensitisation?
No actual pain or harm is inflicted.
What ethical issues are linked to aversion therapy?
It uses punishment, causes distress, and may be unethical.
What did Hajek and Stead (2001) find?
Many aversion therapy studies had poor methodology.
What is a limitation of aversion therapy?
Poor long-term effectiveness and ethical concerns.
What did Fuller et al. (1982) find?
No significant difference between disulfiram and placebo groups.
Why might aversion therapy not be effective long-term?
Because it doesn’t tackle underlying psychological causes.
What is a strength of covert sensitisation?
Backed by research support.
