Counter-conditioning or aversion therapy is a technique used to discourage negative behaviours. The concept is to pair an aversive stimulus with a negative behaviour, so eventually that behaviour will be avoided. This is a technique involved in behaviour therapy.
One example is trying to stop a child from sucking their thumb. By putting a foul-tasting nailpolish on their nails, every time they suck their thumb they will experience a horrible taste in their mouth. After they have experienced this taste a number of times, they will avoid it and not suck their thumb. Eventually they will stop the behaviour altogether and the nailpolish will be unnecessary.
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