Shantanu has a history of substance abuse. He started smoking from an early age. As a resolution for the year 2026, he promised to give up smoking. To support his cause, he has started using nicotine gum. These gums leave an extreme bitter taste and in some cases may induce nausea if a person smokes while they consume these gums. Gradually he quits smoking. Which technique of behaviour modification is evident in this case?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Aversive conditioning
Option (1) Flooding — Incorrect. Flooding is a behaviour therapy technique for phobias in which the person is exposed at once to the feared situation and kept there until the fear dies down. It treats fear; it does not make a habit unpleasant.
Option (2) Aversive conditioning — Correct. It is the repeated association of an undesired response with an aversive consequence. The gum makes smoking taste bitter and may cause nausea, so smoking gets paired with an unpleasant result, just as the smell of alcohol gets paired with a mild electric shock, and Shantanu gives up smoking.
Option (3) Token economy — Incorrect. A token economy rewards a wanted behaviour with a token that is later exchanged for a reward. Shantanu gets no reward; an unpleasant consequence is added to the unwanted habit.
Option (4) Systematic desensitisation — Incorrect. Introduced by Wolpe, it treats phobias or irrational fears by pairing relaxation with imagined fear-provoking situations. Shantanu has a habit to break, not a fear to overcome.
Note: The technique in Option (1), ‘flooding’, is not in NCERT (2025-26); explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2025-26): “Behavioural Techniques … Aversive conditioning refers to repeated association of undesired response with an aversive consequence. For example, an alcoholic is given a mild electric shock and asked to smell the alcohol. With repeated pairings the smell of alcohol is aversive as the pain of the shock is associated with it and the person will give up alcohol.…” “…Persons with behavioural problems can be given a token as a reward every time a wanted behaviour occurs. The tokens are collected and exchanged for a reward such as an outing for the patient or a treat for the child. This is known as token economy.” “…Systematic desensitisation is a technique introduced by Wolpe for treating phobias or irrational fears. The client is interviewed to elicit fear provoking situations and together with the client, the therapist prepares a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking stimuli with the least anxiety-provoking stimuli at the bottom of the hierarchy. The therapist relaxes the client and asks the client to think about the least anxietyprovoking situation. Box 5.2 gives details of relaxation procedures. The client is asked to stop thinking of the fearful situation if the slightest tension is felt. Over sessions, the client is able to imagine more severe fear -provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation.…” |