A controlled study of the aversion relief treatment of phobias.

Abstract

The first two parts of a long-term study to clarify the mechanism of action, the effectiveness and the indications for the aversion relief treatment of phobias are reported. Aversion relief, therapy was first compared with a pseudoconditioning technique. After twelve hours of aversion relief treatment, phobias, depressive and obsessive symptoms were significantly improved according to psychiatrists' assessment and there was also a significant reduction in scores on the Wolpe-Lang Fear Survey Schedule (FSS). Improvements following pseudoconditioning were non-significant. However, differences between the two groups did not reach significance. A comparison of the effect of twenty-five aversion relief therapy hours with twenty-five hours of systematic desensitization revealed no significant difference between the groups. Significant differences after twelve and twenty-five therapy hours were noted in the psychiatrists' and self-rating of phobias for the Aversion Relief Group and in the psychiatrists' rating of phobias on the FSS scores of the Systematic Desensitization Group. Extinction, transference and experimenter bias are discussed as therapeutically active alternatives to the reciprocal inhibition concept.