Aversion Therapy: GCSE Psychology Definition

What is Aversion Therapy?

In GCSE psychology, aversion therapy is a psychological treatment for addiction which works on the principles of classical conditioning. The aim is that the addict learns to associate their addiction with something unpleasant and will then avoid the addictive substance. 

Aversion therapy is used in the following way to treat alcohol addiction:

• Individuals are given an aversive drug to take which makes them feel nauseous and causes them to vomit

• The addict takes an alcoholic drink, which usually results in vomiting

• This treatment is repeated until the individual is no longer addicted to alcohol

Before conditioning, alcohol was associated with pleasure. After conditioning, it is associated with something unpleasant and thus avoided.

Aversion therapy for nicotine addiction functions similarly to alcoholism treatment, but it involves having the smoker inhale so deeply and quickly that it causes nausea. Electric shocks are also given to individuals who suffer from gambling addiction every time they are exposed to stimuli linked to gambling. Following conditioning, gambling is linked to pain and cigarettes to nausea; as a result, the person is no longer addicted.

Aversion Therapy Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

You can use the Save My Exams revision notes to revise aversion therapy as a psychological treatment for addiction and to further your understanding of the interventions available for treating addiction. 

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