AUTOMATED AVERSION THERAPY (FROM SEX OFFENDERS - A SYMPOSIUM, P 55-63, 1978, BY JOHN GUNN - SEE NCJ-68543)

• NCJ Number: 68551
• Author(s): M J MACCULLOCH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Special Hospitals Research Unit
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: NCJ-68551 AVAILABLE ON MICROFICHE FROM NCJRS UNDER NCJ-68543.

Annotation

AN EXPERIMENT USING AUTOMATED AVERSION THERAPY ON TWO ADULT MALE HOMOSEXUALS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE DESIRED ATTITUDE CHANGE OCCURRING OUTSIDE THE TREATMENT SITUATION.

Abstract

TREATMENT WAS GIVEN VIA A MODIFIED PRODUCTION VERSION OF AN AUTOMATIC AVERSION THERAPY SYSTEM, AND AN AUTOMATED SUBJECT INTERFACE WAS USED REPEATEDLY TO ADMINISTER THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION METHOD (SOM) SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION OF THERAPY. THUS, ATTITUDINAL MEASURES WERE AVAILABLE FOR CONSIDERATION EITHER WITHIN OR BETWEEN TREATMENTS. THE FIRST SUBJECT SHOWED A SOM SCALE CHANGE AFTER 23 TREATMENTS FROM 48 FOR MALE AND 36 FOR FEMALE TO 27 FOR MALE AND 48 FOR FEMALE. AFTER 3 YEARS, THE PATIENT STATED HE WAS FREE FROM ANY ABNORMAL SEXUAL INTERESTS IN MEN. THE SECOND SUBJECT, WHOSE OCCUPATION WAS THREATENED BOTH BY HIS HOMOSEXUAL TENDENCIES AND HIS DRINKING, SHOWED A CHANGE AFTER 1 YEAR ON THE SOM SCORE FROM MALE--47, FEMALE--22 TO MALE--17 AND FEMALE--31. AFTER 1 YEAR, THE SECOND SUBJECT WAS LOST TO FURTHER FOLLOWUP BECAUSE OF PROMOTION AND A SUBSEQUENT MOVE TO ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY. EXAMINATION OF CHANGES IN FEMALE AND MALE SCORES DURING AND BETWEEN EACH TREATMENT SESSION SHOWED A PARADOXICAL INCREASE IN THE MALE SOM SCORE OCCURRING WITHIN TREATMENT IN BOTH CASES. THESE DATA APPEAR TO SUGGEST UNLEARNING OF AVOIDANCE OF MEN DURING AVOIDANCE CONDITIONING, WITH MAJOR NET ATTITUDE CHANGES OCCURRING BETWEEN TREATMENT SESSIONS. THESE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT TYPE TWO INCUBATION (EYSENCK 1968) MAY BE OCCURRING BETWEEN-TREATMENT SESSIONS. CLEARLY THE POSSIBILITY FOR INCREMENT OR DECREMENT OF ATTITUDE EXISTS; THUS, DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES WILL RESULT IN DIFFERENT RATES OF INCUBATION, AND BECAUSE OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, DIFFERENT SUBJECTS WOULD BEEXPECTED TO CHANGE AT DIFFERENT RATES. WHEN BETWEEN TREATMENT EXTINCTION EXCEEDS IN TREATMENT AVOIDANCE LEARNING, A TREATMENT FAILURE WILL RESULT; WHERE BETWEEN TREATMENT RESPONSES INCREMENTATION EXCEEDS EXTINCTION, THE TREATMENT WILL SUCCEED. GRAPHS AND 23 REFERENCES ARE SUPPLIED.