Electric aversion and individualized imagery therapy in alcoholism: a controlled experiment

Alcoholic patients were randomly assigned to a supplementary treatment program involving individualized imagery of drinking situations which were then either associated with painful electric shock or with sham shock. This was in addition to a general treatment program for alcoholism including relaxation training. On a long-term follow-up, no differences were demonstrable between the treatment groups. However, patients who did better had originally scored higher on the 16 PF Personality Test in terms of being more calm, self-reliant, placid and disciplined. This was independent of the treatment group to which they had been assigned. This study provides no evidence for the efficacy of electric aversion therapy under the conditions that they were used.