counterconditioning

Counterconditioning is a behavioral therapy technique in which a conditioned stimulus that elicits an unwanted emotional or physiological response is paired with a new stimulus that elicits a more desirable response, with the goal of replacing the original reaction. The method is rooted in classical conditioning and can be used to substitute relaxation, pleasure, or non-fearful affect for fear, anger, or disgust when confronted with the triggering cue.

Practically, a therapist or trainer helps the individual experience the trigger in a controlled setting while the alternative response is elicited and reinforced; over repeated pairings the original response weakens and is replaced by the new one. It is often considered in conjunction with exposure-based therapies, such as systematic desensitization, where relaxation is gradually paired with increasingly fear-provoking stimuli, creating reciprocal inhibition of fear.

Applications include treatment of phobias and anxiety disorders, behavioral modification in animals, and some forms of addiction treatment where a desirable response is paired with cues that previously elicited craving. History notes: early demonstrations include Mary Cover Jones's 1924 experiments counterconditioning fear in children (the "Little Peter" study); the approach influenced later work by Wolpe and others in behavior therapy.

Limitations include reliance on the acquisition of a compatible competing response, possible context specificity, and variability in effectiveness; not all conditioned responses readily countercondition, and relapse can occur if the new association is not maintained.