A man wants to rid himself of sexual fantasies of young boys. A therapist shows the man pictures of boys; if he responds with an erection, he receives an electric shock. Which theoretical perspective does this demonstrate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario demonstrates the principles of classical conditioning, a major aspect of the behavioral perspective, in which the man's inappropriate sexual arousal response is paired with an aversive stimulus (electric shock) in order to decrease the likelihood of that response in the future. The other perspectives listed (psychoanalytic, humanistic, cognitive) do not involve the use of classical conditioning or behavior modification techniques.

A Man Wants to Rid Himself of Sexual Fantasies of Young