Abstract
Behavior therapy has achieved some success in the treatment of homosexuality, obesity, alcoholism and other compulsions. Here-tofore the aversive stimulus has been externally applied in the presence of the pleasurable but undesirable stimulus (or its substitute; e.g., words and pictures). In the method of covert sensitization the subject is asked to visualize the pleasurable stimulus while at the same time he is given instructions to imagine an unpleasant sensation such as vomiting. The method of covert sensitization is described, and two cases are presented illustrating its use.
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Cautela, J.R. Treatment of Compulsive Behavior by Covert Sensitization. Psychol Rec 16, 33–41 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393640
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393640