Warren K, Campbell B, Cranmer S, De Leon G, Doogan N, Weiler M, Doherty F. Building the community: Endogenous network formation, homophily and prosocial sorting among therapeutic community residents.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2020;
207:107773. [PMID:
31812853 PMCID:
PMC6981033 DOI:
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107773]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Researchers have begun to consider the ways in which social networks influence therapeutic community (TC) treatment outcomes. However, there are few studies of the way in which the social networks of TC residents develop over the course of treatment.
METHODOLOGY
We used a Temporal Exponential Random Graph Model (TERGM) to analyze changes in social networks totaling 320,387 peer affirmations exchanged between residents in three correctional TCs, one of which serves men and two of which serve both men and women. The networks were analyzed within weekly and monthly time-frames.
RESULTS
Within a weekly time-frame residents tended to close triads. Residents who were not previously connected tended not to affirm the same peers. Residents showed homophily by entry cohort. Other results were inconsistent across TC units. Within a monthly time-frame participants showed homophily by graduation status. They showed the same patterns of triadic closure when connected, tendency not to affirm the same peers when not connected and homophily by cohort entry time as in a weekly time frame.
CONCLUSIONS
TCs leverage three human tendencies to bring about change. The first is the tendency of cooperators to work together, in this case in seeking graduation. The second is the tendency of people to build clusters. The third is homophily, in this case by cohort entry time. Consistent with TC clinical theory, residents spread affirmations to a variety of peers when they have no previous connection. This suggests that residents balance network clustering with a concern for the community as a whole.
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