Behavior completion mechanisms rather than primary drives maintain behavioral patterns

Anxiety is identified with a state of high arousal. Agoraphobia is differentiated from specific phobias which are inherent responses to situations which threatened primitive man. In agoraphobia, attacks of high arousal are produced by situations which delay ongoing activity. It is hypothesised that such delays produce arousal by activating behavior completion mechanisms. Evidence is reviewed which indicates desensitization has a specific effect in agoraphobia but not in specific phobias. It is suggested that desensitization reduces the arousal produced by behavior completion mechanisms. -- Aversive therapy in homosexuality reduces the subjects' drive to carry out compulsive sexual behaviors but does not alter sexual orientation. It is suggested that the compulsive sexual behaviors are not activated by primary sexual drive but by behavior completion mechanisms. Aversive therapy reduces the arousal produced by the behavior completion mechanisms. -- A similar mode of action is advanced for desensitization and aversive therapy. Both inhibit arousal by establishing a focal experimental neurosis which results from alternation of excitatory and inhibitory impulses.