Treating paruresis using respondent conditioning.
This study examined the effectiveness of respondent conditioning in the treatment of a 24-year-old female exhibiting paruresis. Paruresis was defined as the inability to urinate in public restrooms with others present. The number of seconds required to initiate urination was the dependent variable. Treatment consisted of the participant first pairing a word with urination in her home bathroom, then pairing the word with urination in restrooms outside her home, and finally using the word to initiate urination in restrooms that she classified as easy, medium, and difficult places. The results of the study demonstrated that implementation of the respondent conditioning procedure was associated with a decrease in the number of seconds required to initiate urination and for enabling the participant to urinate with others present.
Watson
T S
TS
School Psychology Program, Mississippi State University, MS 39762, USA. tsw2@ra.msstate.edu
Freeland
J T
JT
D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012931:Social Environment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*