A Behavioral Analysis of a Social Control Agency: Synanon

Abstract

The function of the therapeutic agency is essentially no more than the control of social behavior, and agents of the therapeutic agency use techniques based on a particular theory of behavior causation and control. In the behavioral analysis, emphasis is placed on past and present environmental conditions and their effects on current behavior. The agent or therapist thus manipu lates the person's environment to produce changes in behavior through social interaction.

Synanon, a group aimed at rehabilitating narcotics addicts, provides an interesting example of a social control agency in a setting which uses, among other things, principles of operant conditioning (conditioning of speech and movement) through the definition of overt response classes (responses having similar or identical consequences and occurring in the same stimulus situation), response contingent consequences (consequences that consistently occur as the result of certain responses—reinforce ment or punishment), and other behavior control procedures through its program of membership interaction. Documents, interviews, and field observations provide examples of Synanon procedures (especially operant conditioning) that are analogous to those employcd by modern behavior therapists. Synanon's program, although it has some weaknesses, is relatively successful in helping the member to overcome his addiction to narcotics.