Evaluating Covert Sensitization in the Treatment of Male Sex Addicts: Three Single Subject Studies

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate whether Covert Sensitization (CS), a behavioral treatment based on classical conditioning, is a potentially effective treatment intervention when working with sex addicts in an office-based setting.

Method

The 15-week study featured the evaluation of three clients using an A-B-A treatment design where baseline outcome measures were taken for three consecutive weeks prior to the onset of therapy, then during the eight consecutive weeks of CS therapy, and continued for the four consecutive weeks following the conclusion of CS therapy. Two outcome measures were used: the Sexual Addiction Screening Test – Revised to determine client inclusion; and the Sexual Sensation Seeking and Sexual Compulsivity Scales (SSSSCS) to measure treatment outcome.

Results

On the Sexual Compulsivity Scale component of the SSSSCS, nine of ten items demonstrated significant decreases in sexual addiction over the 15-week study.

Discussion

The results support both hypotheses. The outcomes were demonstrated with the use of line graphs for visual inspection without the use of inferential statistics.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).