Behaviourism · 1950
Aversive conditioning
Associating a behaviour with aversive consequences reduces its repetition by changing its immediate functional value.
Aversive conditioning is a set of behavioural procedures aimed at reducing the frequency of maladaptive behaviours by systematically associating them with aversive stimuli. Initially grounded in classical conditioning, the method sought to generate negative emotional responses to previously reinforced behaviours, thereby decreasing their probability of recurrence. It later incorporated principles of operant conditioning, using positive punishment or the withdrawal of reinforcers as mechanisms of behavioural control. It was widely applied between the 1950s and the 1970s in addictions, paraphilias and self-destructive behaviours. Although it showed short-term effectiveness, its clinical use declined because of ethical limitations, high relapse rates and the absence of alternative learning, and it was progressively replaced by approaches based on exposure, self-regulation and positive reinforcement.
Core ideas
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Behaviour can be reduced by altering its consequences
Aversive conditioning rests on the behaviourist premise that the probability of a behaviour depends on its consequences. If a previously reinforced behaviour comes to generate unpleasant consequences, its frequency decreases systematically. (Skinner, 1953).
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Aversive learning modifies the functional value of the behaviour
The procedure acts neither on meaning nor on intention, but on the immediate functional value of the behaviour. By being associated with aversive stimuli, the behaviour loses its reinforcing value and comes to be avoided. (Mowrer, 1960).
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Punishment reduces behaviour but does not teach alternatives
Punishment, both positive and negative, can suppress behaviours in the short term, but it does not generate new behavioural repertoires. This limits its long-term effectiveness, since the individual has no functional alternative behaviours available. (Skinner, 1953).
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Behavioural suppression depends on immediate contingency
For aversive conditioning to be effective, the aversive consequence must be applied immediately, consistently and contingently on the behaviour. A lack of precision in the contingency drastically reduces learning. (Skinner, 1953).
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Aversive learning generates conditioned emotional responses
As well as reducing the behaviour, aversive conditioning generates negative emotional responses (disgust, fear, rejection) associated with the behaviour or stimulus, contributing to its future avoidance. (Mowrer, 1947).
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Secondary avoidance may generalise
Aversive learning may extend to similar stimuli or contexts, generating generalised avoidance. This can produce unwanted side effects, such as excessive inhibition or avoidance of adaptive situations. (Bandura & Walters, 1963).
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External control limits the internalisation of change
The change produced by aversive conditioning depends on external control of contingencies. When that control disappears, the problem behaviour may reappear if no internal mechanisms of regulation or behavioural alternatives have been developed. (Skinner, 1953).
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Short-term effectiveness does not guarantee maintenance
Although aversive conditioning can produce rapid reductions in the problem behaviour, the absence of alternative learning and the associated negative emotional effects make it difficult to maintain change in the long term. (Wolpe, 1958).
Influences
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Methodological behaviourism
Key references
- Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior.
- Wolpe, J. (1958). Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition.
- Bandura, A., & Walters, R. (1963). Social Learning and Personality Development.