Reciprocal inhibition is a behavior therapy where a desired response is repeatedly performed in the presence of a stimulus that triggers an unwanted response. Joseph Wolpe developed the theory, which involves gradual exposure to anxiety-producing stimuli while teaching relaxation techniques. Wolpe’s work with soldiers suffering from PTSD was successful, and his theory has been incorporated into modern behavior therapy.
In psychology, reciprocal inhibition is a form of behavior therapy in which a desired behavioral response is repeatedly performed in the presence of a stimulus that normally triggers an unwanted response. For example, a snake phobic patient may be repeatedly exposed to the presence of a snake while practicing a deliberate relaxation procedure. The theory behind this type of reciprocal inhibition therapy is that, with enough repetition, the old undesirable response can be unlearned and a new behavioral pattern can be permanently established.
The psychology of reciprocal inhibition has spawned a variety of specific approaches to therapy, including desensitization therapy, assertion therapy, and avoidance conditioning. The original theory of mutual inhibition psychotherapy, however, was developed by a South African psychologist, Joseph Wolpe, who published his ideas in 1958 in an article titled “Psychotherapy by Mutual Inhibition.” In this seminal work, Wolpe argued that it was possible to treat anxiety and phobic disorders by teaching clients to relax during a process of gradual exposure to the anxiety-producing stimulus.
Wolpe first demonstrated this concept in a series of experiments on cats. The first step in this process was to expose the cats to an unpleasant shock, paired with a specific sound. After some conditioning, the cats reacted fearfully to the sound alone. This is an example of classical Pavlovian conditioning. Next, Wolpe showed that the fear response could be gradually unlearned if he reversed the stimulus and combined the same sound with the food presentation.
In the theory of reciprocal inhibition, reciprocal behaviors are defined as behaviors that compete with each other. For example, a relaxation behavior in which the skeletal muscles are relaxed is considered reciprocal to a “fight or flight” stress response in which the muscles become tense. By repeatedly practicing the desired behavior in the presence of the stimulus that triggered the unwanted behavior, the response to the stimulus is weakened and ultimately, if the treatment is successful, the unwanted behavior is eliminated.
Wolpe developed his ideas by working with soldiers suffering from PTSD and met with considerable success. Initially, much of the psychotherapeutic community was skeptical of the reciprocal inhibition theory, suggesting that this method would only result in the replacement of symptoms in a patient and not a permanent cure. Nonetheless, Wolpe’s work formed a pioneering psychotherapeutic theory that has been largely incorporated into modern behavior therapy.
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