Aversives

Aversion, dislike or rejection (Latin aversatio, aversion ', of aversio, disgust ' ) refers to the tendency of an organism to react to certain stimuli with pain. An aversion can be compared to any kind of stimuli or objects exist, for example, to certain people, actions, things ( food ) or situations and memories. An aversion is mostly associated with the drive to want to turn away.

The stimuli themselves can be referred to as aversive, for example, can be a pain aversive stimulus. Aversive stimuli trigger an avoidance response and are avoided if possible. Behind aversions are usually unpleasant or hurtful experience, or a learned link (conditioning) of perceptions with the unpleasant feeling.

Another example of an aversion are smells that trigger nausea. A special form of aversion to smells or foods associated with nausea -inducing symptoms despite otherwise causes is called taste aversion.

The aversion therapy followed this approach conditioning in the compound of a harmful behavior with an unpleasant stimulus in order to minimize, for example, aggressive behavior or to help addicts.

While the aversion is an unconscious emotion, antipathy, resentment and prejudice are rather the expression of social psychological feelings.

Animosity is a useful related term that describes a hostile and aggressive aversion to someone or something.