reciprocal inhibition
Noun: 1. A behavioral therapy technique: A method in behavior therapy where an undesired response (such as anxiety) is inhibited or weakened by deliberately eliciting a response that is physiologically or psychologically incompatible with it. The core principle is that two opposing responses cannot occur simultaneously.
Reciprocal inhibition is a clinical term used primarily in psychology, psychotherapy, and behavioral science. - It describes the theoretical foundation for certain therapeutic interventions. - It is often discussed in the context of systematic desensitization.
- The therapist used reciprocal inhibition by teaching the patient deep muscle relaxation to counter conditioned fear responses.
- Reciprocal inhibition is the key mechanism explaining why relaxation techniques can effectively reduce anxiety during exposure therapy.
- Wolpe's development of systematic desensitization was based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition.
- In therapeutic practice: The term specifically refers to the process where a new, adaptive response (like relaxation) is conditioned to replace a maladaptive one (like fear), based on their mutual incompatibility.
- In theoretical discourse: It can be discussed as a fundamental learning principle within behaviorist psychology.
- Reciprocal inhibition therapy: A therapeutic approach explicitly based on this principle.
- Systematic desensitization: A well-known therapeutic procedure whose mechanism is explained by reciprocal inhibition.
- Counterconditioning: A broader term for learning processes where a new response is conditioned to replace an old one, encompassing reciprocal inhibition.
- Response substitution
- Incompatible response therapy (descriptive synonym)
This is a specialized compound noun from clinical psychology. Its meaning is fixed and refers specifically to the therapeutic technique and its underlying principle. It is not commonly used in everyday language.
- a method of behavior therapy based on the inhibition of one response by the occurrence of another response that is mutually incompatible with it; a relaxation response might be conditioned to a stimulus that previously evoked anxiety