This file accompanies a youtube clip made on this topic. It includes an overview of Aversion therapy and 2 practical examples. see www.ePsychVCE.com for more VCE Psychology resources.

1. Aversion therapy
• An aversion is a complete dislike for something
(rather than an allergy)
• Aversion therapy is a form of behavior therapy that
uses the principles of classical conditioning in
which an aversive stimulus (e.g. nausea inducing
drug) is paired with a maladaptive behaviour in
order to reduce or eliminate that behaviour

2. Aversion therapy
• Used for treating
• Homosexuality
• Sexually deviant children
• Addictions e.g. Smoking, alcoholism
• Bad habits

3. Aversion therapy
• E.g. Smokers given electric shocks (UCS) when
they see/ smell a cigarette (originally the NS) i.e.
cigarettes paired with electric shocks; the electric
shocks reflexively cause pain (UCR)
• After several pairings, even the sight or smell of
cigarettes (CS) leads to a negative emotional
response (CR) i.e. an aversion

4. Solution – to example
Baseline NS: Cigarettes evokes
stage No aversive response
UCS: Electric Shocks evokes
UCR: Pain & anxiety
Acquisition Repeated pairings of
stage NS (Cigarettes) & UCS (electric
shocks) evoking
UCR (pain & anxiety)
Post CS: Thought of Cigarettes evokes

5. Aversion therapy
• E.g # 2. Internet addiction
• Required: Describe the process in terms
of the 3 stages of Classical Conditioning

6. Solution – to examples # 2
Baseline
stage
Acquisition
stage
Post
Conditioning

7. Solution – to example # 2
Baseline NS: Playing on the Internet evokes
stage No aversive response
UCS: Electric Shocks evokes
UCR: Pain & anxiety
Acquisition Repeated pairings of
stage NS (Internet activity) & UCS (electric
shocks) evoking
UCR (pain & anxiety)
Post CS: Thought of internet evokes

8. Limitations of aversion therapy
• Ethical considerations i.e.
causing physical or
psychological pain to patient
• Overgeneralisation i.e. avoiding
drinking of all types of liquid
rather than merely alcohol
• Extinction often occurs without
repeated administrations of
UCS & CS pairing i.e. the
• Aversion might not materialise
unless they know UCS (nausea
inducing drug) will coincide
with alcohol consumption