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Reducing Addiction: Behavioural Interventions - Coggle Diagram
Reducing Addiction: Behavioural Interventions
Aversion Therapy:
a form of behavioural therapy in which an aversive stimulus is paired with an undesirable behaviour in order to reduce or eliminate that behaviour
Alternatively -
Covert Sensitisation
: Instead of experiencing an unpleasant stimulus the patient imagines how it would feel
Evaluation:
CS is less traumatic than AT, leading to lower attrition rates
AT is effective, perceived to be more effective with double blind
High rates of attrition = overestimating the effectiveness of remaining patients as they are more motivated
Unethical?
Treatment adherence issues
Purpose:
Treatment is grounded in the learning theory - behaviour is learned and that undesirable behaviour can be unlearned under the right circumstances (CC)
The unpleasant feelings or sensations become associated with that behaviour - meaning it will decrease in frequency or stop altogether
The goal - to decrease or eliminate undesirable behaviours
Precautions:
Foul odours, nasty tastes, and loud noises have been employed as aversive stimuli somewhat less frequently
An uncomfortable but safe level of electric shock is often preferred to chemical and pharmacological aversants because of the risks that these substances involve
Ethical concerns - acceptance and negative public perception
Causes extremely uncomfortable consequences eg. nausea, vomiting - effect may lead to poor compliance with treatment, high drop out rates, potentially hostile and aggressive patients
Description:
Therapist begins by assessing the problem, measuring its frequency, severity, and the environment in which the undesirable behaviour occurs
Good rapport will facilitate a successful outcome - a positive relationship is also necessary to establish the patient's confidence in the rationale for exposing him or her to an uncomfortable stimulus
Electric shock is easy to administrate, and the level of intensity can be preselected by the patient - the stimulation can be precisely controlled and timed