| Abstract: | BELIEVED TO BE THE 1ST REPORT OF THE ELIMINATION OF A SADISTIC FANTASY BY CONDITIONING METHODS, AS WELL AS THE 1ST TO DESCRIBE A TECHNIQUE FOR COUNTERCONDITIONING SEXUAL RESPONSES. THE CLIENT WAS A 21-YR-OLD COLLEGE MALE. THE THERAPY ENTAILED CLIENT-CONTROLLED MASTURBATION SESSIONS, IN WHICH STRONG SEXUAL FEELINGS WERE PAIRED WITH PICTURES AND IMAGES OF FEMALES IN NONSADISTIC CONTEXTS. THIS PRESUMED POSITIVE COUNTERCONDITIONING WAS SUPPLEMENTED IN THE CONSULTING ROOM BY IMAGINAL AVERSIVE COUNTERCONDITIONING ("COVERT SENSITIZATION"), WHEREBY AN EXTREMELY DISGUSTING SCENE WAS PAIRED IN IMAGINATION WITH A TYPICAL SADISTIC FANTASY. FURTHERMORE, THERAPEUTIC CHANGE SEEMED TO BE FACILITATED THROUGH THE CLIENT'S RECONSTRUCTION OF HIS PROBLEM IN CONDITIONING TERMS, RATHER THAN IN TERMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND UNCONSCIOUS PROCESSES. (36 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
