Evaluation Of Behavioural Therapies In Terms Of Effectiveness

Question 1

What was Miller’s (1978) study?

Answer 1

Studied alcoholics going through 3 types of therapy:

1) Aversion therapy ( shocks)
2) counseling and aversion therapy
3) counseling

One year later recovery was the same for all groups. This tells us that aversion therapy is as effective as other treatments, this is a weakness because it means people can go through a less traumatic therapy and get the same results.

Question 2

What was Smith’s experiment in (1997)?

Alcohol

Answer 2

He studied alcoholics going through 2 types of therapy:

1) Aversion ( shocks or drugs)
2) counseling

One year later those who were treated with aversion therapy had had higher abstinence rates. This tells us that aversion therapy is more effective than counselling.

Question 3

What did Smith do in 1988? ( Smokers)

Answer 3

300 smokers went though aversion therapy and 1 year later 52% were still abstinent.
This is a strength, however it isn’t completely effective as 48% relapsed.

Question 4

What did Bancroft say about aversion therapy?

Answer 4

Up to 50% of patients either refuse treatment or drop out of aversion therapy programmes.

By the end of the therapy there is only one type of person left ( resilient) therefore it is difficult to assess how effective it is as it might just have been the type of person they are.

Question 5

What are the effects of aversion therapy long term?

Answer 5

Although the effects of aversion therapy seem to be successful, they are not always long term.

In the therapist office, patients appear to be treated and recover, however these effects do not always transfer to the real world.

Question 6

What is symptom substitution?

Answer 6

Becoming addicted to something else due to an underlying cause (trauma).