Addiction - treating addiction (behavioural interventions) Flashcards
What do behavioural interventions assume about addictive behaviours?
Behavioural interventions assume that addictive behaviours are learned and can be reduced or eliminated by changing the consequences of these behaviours from pleasant to unpleasant.
How do behavioural therapies aim to reduce addictive behaviours?
Behavioural therapies aim to change a person’s motivation to engage in addictive behaviours, often by associating the behaviour with unpleasant consequences. This can be achieved through aversion therapy or covert sensitization.
What is the main goal of aversion therapy?
The goal of aversion therapy is to decrease or eliminate undesirable behaviours associated with addiction by associating them with unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations.
How does aversion therapy work according to learning theory?
Aversion therapy works by exploiting classical conditioning, where an addiction (caused by positive reinforcement) is reduced by associating the addictive behaviour (e.g. smoking, drinking) with an aversive stimulus (e.g. nausea, foul smells, electric shocks).
How is classical conditioning used in aversion therapy?
In aversion therapy, an individual learns to associate an aversive stimulus (e.g. nausea) with the previously pleasurable addictive behaviour (e.g. smoking, gambling). Over time, the behaviour is conditioned to become unpleasant and is reduced or eliminated.
What are some common stimuli used in aversion therapy?
Common stimuli used in aversion therapy include drugs that cause nausea, foul smells, or mild electric shocks. These are used to create an unpleasant association with the addictive behaviour.
What types of addictive behaviours can be treated with aversion therapy?
Addictive behaviours that can be treated with aversion therapy include alcohol abuse, drug abuse, smoking, and pathological gambling.
What is covert sensitization?
Covert sensitization is a behavioural therapy that eliminates an unwanted behaviour by creating an imagined association between the behaviour and an unpleasant stimulus or consequence, instead of using actual physical consequences.
How does covert sensitization differ from aversion therapy?
The key difference is that in covert sensitization, the unpleasant stimulus is imagined by the individual, whereas in aversion therapy, the unpleasant stimulus is experienced physically (e.g. nausea, shocks).
How does covert sensitization work?
Covert sensitization works by having the individual vividly imagine engaging in the addictive behaviour while simultaneously picturing unpleasant or anxiety-inducing consequences. This association helps to reduce the desire to engage in the behaviour.
What is the purpose of imagining unpleasant stimuli in covert sensitization?
The purpose of imagining unpleasant stimuli is to create a strong enough mental association between the addictive behaviour and the unpleasant sensation, which reduces the individual’s desire to engage in the behaviour.
What principle is covert sensitization based on?
Covert sensitization is based on classical conditioning, where a behaviour (e.g. gambling) is associated with an unpleasant stimulus (e.g. nausea or anxiety) to decrease the frequency of that behaviour.
What research support is there for covert sensitization?
McConaghy et al. (1983) compared covert sensitisation with electric shock aversion therapy in treating gambling addiction. At a one-year follow-up, 90% of covert sensitisation participants had reduced their gambling activities, compared to just 30% of those in aversion therapy. McConaghy et al. (1983) also found that covert sensitisation continued to be effective over the long term, while aversion therapy became less effective. In a follow-up study in 1991, after periods of 2-9 years, aversion therapy showed no more effectiveness than a placebo. This suggest that covert sensitisation is a highly promising behavioural intervention for addictions, including alcohol, nicotine, and gambling, showing long-term benefits.
What methodological problems did Stead (2001) find with studies on aversion therapy for nicotine addiction?
Stead (2001) found that most studies on aversion therapy for nicotine addiction had methodological problems, such as lack of “blind” procedures. This caused biases that made the therapy appear more effective than it actually was.
What is a limitation of research into aversion therapy?
A limitation of research into aversion therapy is the methodological flaws in many studies, such as lack of control for bias, which reduces the validity of conclusions about its effectiveness.
How can aversion therapy undermine an individual’s sense of control over their addiction?
Aversion therapy may lead individuals to feel they have no control over their addiction, as it often involves a drug (e.g., Antabuse) that forces behaviour change without personal effort, reducing motivation to change.
How does aversion therapy take a deterministic standpoint?
Aversion therapy takes a deterministic standpoint by removing the individual’s sense of free will in overcoming their addiction, as the therapy relies on external control (e.g., medication) rather than self-directed effort.
What is a limitation of aversion therapy?
A limitation of aversion therapy is that its unpleasant stimuli, such as induced vomiting or electric shocks, often lead to high dropout rates, making it difficult to assess its long-term effectiveness. This would suggest that aversion therapy is not an effective treatment for addiction.
How might covert sensitisation be a more effective treatment than aversion therapy?
Covert sensitisation is a less traumatic approach compared to aversion therapy, as it uses imagined unpleasant stimuli instead of actual physical discomfort, leading to higher treatment adherence and less dropout.
