3.2.4.8.1 Aversion therapy Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 8

The 20 questions

1. What is aversion therapy?

   • A surgical method that removes parts of the frontal lobe of the brain
   • A treatment that pairs an unwanted behaviour with an unpleasant stimulus
   • A talking therapy that explores childhood memories and family relationships only
   • A treatment that pairs a behaviour with a pleasant reward every time it occurs

2. In aversion therapy for alcohol dependence, what might be paired with drinking?

   • A relaxing massage given to the person after each drink is taken
   • A reward such as money given to the person for every single drink
   • A drug that causes nausea or other unpleasant symptoms with alcohol
   • A free holiday offered to the person for completing the whole programme

3. What is the aim of aversion therapy?

   • To make the target behaviour become associated with something unpleasant
   • To strengthen the person's craving for the substance over the course of time
   • To remove all memories of the substance from the person's mind completely
   • To make the target behaviour become associated with pleasure and relief

4. Aversion therapy is based on which learning principle?

   • Operant conditioning, in which rewards are given only for good behaviour
   • Genetic inheritance of a fixed behaviour pattern passed from one generation
   • Observational learning, in which a person copies the behaviour of a model
   • Classical conditioning, in which a stimulus becomes linked with a response

5. Which is a possible ethical concern with aversion therapy?

   • It is always free of any risk to the patient who receives the treatment
   • It requires no consent from the patient before it is given at all
   • It involves causing discomfort, so consent and wellbeing must be carefully considered
   • It involves no discomfort for anyone taking part at any stage of the treatment

6. A patient receives an unpleasant stimulus each time they smoke. Which treatment is this?

   • A twin study, which compares the genetic similarity of pairs of people
   • Cognitive behaviour therapy, which challenges negative thoughts about smoking
   • Self-help group support, which shares experiences and sets goals together
   • Aversion therapy, which pairs smoking with an unpleasant stimulus

7. Which statement about aversion therapy effectiveness is most accurate?

   • Its effects always last for life after just one single session of treatment
   • Its effects may fade over time, so it is often used alongside other support
   • It has been shown to remove all cravings in every person who receives it
   • It has no effect on behaviour at all in any patient who undergoes it

8. What is a reductionist aspect of aversion therapy?

   • Including the person's family and community in the approach taken to treatment
   • Using the person's own goals and values to guide the choice of treatment plan
   • Considering the person's relationships, thoughts and wider social context together
   • Treating addiction as a behaviour to be changed by pairing it with an unpleasant stimulus

9. Why might aversion therapy be combined with other treatments?

   • To address the psychological and social aspects of addiction as well as the behaviour itself
   • To ensure that the patient never needs any further support from anyone after treatment
   • To make the unpleasant stimulus stronger over the course of the treatment
   • To replace the need for assessment by a clinician in the treatment process

10. Which of these best describes an 'unpleasant stimulus' used in aversion therapy?

    • Something that is given only when the behaviour does not occur at all
    • Something that causes pleasure, such as a favourite meal eaten with friends
    • Something that causes discomfort, such as nausea, when the behaviour occurs
    • Something that is neutral and has no effect on the person at all

11. A researcher evaluating aversion therapy measures how often participants drink after treatment. What is the dependent variable?

    • The frequency of drinking after the treatment has been completed
    • The type of unpleasant stimulus that is used in the study design
    • The room temperature during the treatment sessions in the clinic
    • The number of therapists present at each of the treatment sessions

12. Which type of learning is most directly targeted by aversion therapy?

    • Motor learning of a sequence of hand movements in a practice session
    • Recall of a list of words after a delay of several minutes in the lab
    • Perception of depth using monocular cues in a visual scene
    • Association between a behaviour and an unpleasant outcome

13. Why might a clinician be cautious about aversion therapy?

    • It works equally well for every type of problem without any monitoring
    • It has no risks at all for any patient who receives it under any condition
    • It is never used in any clinical setting in any country in the world
    • It can cause physical or emotional harm, so risks must be weighed

14. Which example would be an appropriate use of aversion therapy according to the specification?

    • Helping a person with a broken arm regain full movement after treatment
    • Helping a person learn to speak a new language through rewards and praise
    • Helping a person reduce a substance-related behaviour through a paired unpleasant stimulus
    • Helping a person remember a long list of numbers over a period of days

15. What does a patient typically learn from aversion therapy?

    • To forget all prior experiences of the substance over a short period
    • To ignore every feeling associated with daily life at home and work
    • To link the target substance or behaviour with an unpleasant feeling
    • To link the substance with a pleasant feeling of relaxation and calm

16. Which statement about aversion therapy is most accurate?

    • It removes the need for any physical health checks during the course
    • It cures addiction permanently in all patients who complete the programme
    • It uses classical conditioning to change the link between a behaviour and feelings
    • It uses only social learning and involves no conditioning of any kind

17. A patient finds aversion therapy distressing and withdraws. What principle is most relevant?

    • The clinician's right to force the patient to continue whatever the patient feels
    • The patient's right to withdraw and to have their wellbeing protected
    • The therapist's right to ignore the patient's feelings during the treatment
    • The patient's duty to complete all of the sessions no matter how they feel

18. Which of these is a strength of aversion therapy?

    • It can produce a clear change in behaviour quickly for some people
    • It requires no commitment from the patient at any point in the course
    • It always produces a lasting change with no need for any follow-up at all
    • It has no effect on the patient's behaviour in any case that is treated

19. Which is a limitation of aversion therapy?

    • It requires no clinical oversight at all during the course of treatment
    • Changes in behaviour may not last once the treatment ends and the pairing stops
    • It works equally well for all substances and all types of behaviour
    • Changes in behaviour always last for many decades after the treatment has ended

20. Why is a study comparing aversion therapy to another treatment valuable?

    • It guarantees the same result for everyone who takes part in the study
    • It shows which approach works better for a given group of patients
    • It removes the need to measure outcomes at any point in the study
    • It shows that all treatments are identical in their effect on the patients

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