Aversion Therapy with Sexual Deviants

Abstract

From 1965 onwards, FELDMAN and MacCulloch et al. produced a series of papers based on the use of anticipatory avoidance in the treatment of homosexuality. These authors reviewed the experimental evidence on anticipatory avoidance learning with the aim of defining a treatment procedure that would take full account of the variables that have been found effective in increasing resistance to the extinction of a conditioned response. Their original procedure may be briefly described as follows. The sexually deviant patient (for this purpose, a homosexual) is instructed to look at a male picture that is presented to him, for as long as he finds it attractive. If, after 8 sec, he has not rejected this picture by pressing the switch provided, he receives an electric shock. He can avoid this shock if he rejects the slide within the 8-sec. period. However, a schedule of reinforcement is used, i.e. not all his attempts at avoidance are successful. One third of the trials allow the subject to avoid immediately (IA), one third allow avoidance after a variable amount of delay (DA), and the remaining one third are unsuccessful, i.e. the patient receives a shock. On a number of random occasions a female slide is presented for 10 sec., unaccompanied by shock, and the patient can press a switch to have the slide returned.