Methods for assessment of aversion treatment in fetishism with masochism

An operant conditioning measure is described, which showed that faradic shocks were aversive in a patient whose fetishism was associated with masochism. The patient's response was in keeping with expectations drawn from the initial measures, since faradic aversion produced rapid improvement of the masochism with subsequent improvement of the fetishism, and increased enjoyment of normal sexual relations. The operant conditioning and semantic differential measures accurately reflected clinical changes after treatment, and are useful to assess progress. Masochism does not necessarily contra-indicate aversion treatment.