Post by ambercyw on Sept 21, 2017 1:26:24 GMT
There is actually a drug called Disulfiram which causes aversion to ethanol and it is used in treatment of alcohol abuse. Disulfiram inhibits an enzyme in the body which usually metabolizes ethanol and as a result, it causes unpleasant symptoms in the individual such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting (unconditioned response). This drug uses the principles of classical conditioning since it acts as the unconditioned stimulus which will be paired with alcohol (conditioned stimulus) and this will cause a conditioned response (unpleasant symptoms). In consequence, an individual taking this drug treatment will associate alcohol with these unpleasant symptoms and will want to limit or abolish excessive drinking.
In desensitization therapy for a specific phobia, an individual is gradually but repeatedly exposed to what they fear (e.g. snake) until that fear is extinguished. The phobia was possibly developed due to a bad experience in which the conditioned stimulus was the snake, the unconditioned stimulus was danger, and the unconditioned response was fear which caused a fear of snakes (conditioned response). The therapy involves exposing the individual to a snake (CS) with the absence of danger (US) which should no longer produce the UR. Theoretically, over time, the association between the snake and fear will be extinguished and the individual will no longer fear snakes.
In desensitization therapy for a specific phobia, an individual is gradually but repeatedly exposed to what they fear (e.g. snake) until that fear is extinguished. The phobia was possibly developed due to a bad experience in which the conditioned stimulus was the snake, the unconditioned stimulus was danger, and the unconditioned response was fear which caused a fear of snakes (conditioned response). The therapy involves exposing the individual to a snake (CS) with the absence of danger (US) which should no longer produce the UR. Theoretically, over time, the association between the snake and fear will be extinguished and the individual will no longer fear snakes.