Pavlok - Electric Shocks to Break Habits

This comes down to Skinner's operant conditioning. Skinner found that behaviours can be positively reinforced (so with reward) or negatively reinforced (say with electric shocks). He could train mice to press a complex sequence of levers by reinforcing with reward and to avoid certain ones by giving electric shocks.

It basically is that you modify your behaviours to avoid the aversive stimulus (in this case the shock). It works best if the reinforcer is used as soon as possible after the behaviour and you have to use it consistently. It sounds like in this case that it's controlled via an app and you have an accountability partner who can deliver shocks to you if you don't meet targets. It doesn't therefore immediately correlate with your bad actions unless you are consistent in shocking yourself. It is based on scientific principles but I don't think there have been any studies on whether is effective, mainly just testimonials. I usually take those with a pinch of salt as they are sometimes fake (remember the "normal" student in the Microsoft laptop ads who turned out to be a professional actress).

This seems like a good, balanced article on it: http://www.betaboston.com/news/2016...wristband-that-zaps-bad-habits-sort-of-works/

Positive reinforcement is generally seen to be a more effective way to break a bad habit.

 

I hope by now you have overcome your habits. However in case you haven’t have you had any success with this have you ordered one?

I did in 2016 and again in 2018 and now have the 3 but it wasn’t until I learned how to defeat OCD that I was able to make real progress with porn but it’s great I have a bad thought and bam. Zap. But one zap was not enough for me. It takes 5 big zaps to really get me paying attention.