AP Psychology Exam Prep

Answer: D - Britney’s parents put bitter polish on her nails to discourage nail-biting. This is an example of aversion therapy.
Key Takeaway: Aversion therapy is a type of psychological therapy that pairs a behavior with some sort of discomfort. The person has a natural aversion to the discomfort such as hating bitter taste or disliking the feeling of an electric shock. When someone pairs this discomfort with a behavior, the person develops an aversion to the behavior too. Aversion therapy is often used when a person’s behavior is self-harming such as restraining a person who is hitting their head on the wall repeatedly. It is also used with people who want to discontinue bad habits such as smoking or overeating by putting unpleasant flavors in the cigarettes or food, respectively.