Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 23
in comportment and in responsiveness to his desires. She would often lead Eve into the
performance of the sexual acts which Satyr desired.
Eve remained a participant in the cult for nearly two years. Throughout her involvement Eve
was conflicted about her participation. Although this paper has not detailed the techniques
Satyr used to maintain her silence and compliance after induction, Eve was carefully
controlled. She found herself doubting that she would physically survive if she broke with
Satyr. Her fears were based on supernatural considerations as well as on Satyr‘s threats to
the physical safety of others who wavered. She doubted that her husband would believe
her, given the enormity of Satyr‘s transgressions. At one point, she considered fleeing both
Satyr and her husband. Throughout her active involvement, she felt hopelessly trapped.
For reasons too complicated to explain hem Eve eventually broke Satyr‘s rule of secrecy and
sought advice from her sister. This led to defection from the cult.
Conclusion
Satyr was able to combine the power and authority inherent in his clerical role with
historical and cultural circumstances to structure a situation that allowed him to grossly
manipulate members of his congregation. Although his clerical role certified Satyr as an
expert on certain theological questions, it did not confer on him expertise on
psychotherapeutic matters. It is, however, a common observation in the literature about
social influence and decision-making that relatively high status, especially when based on
technical expertise, can easily be used to gain deference in areas beyond the scope of actual
competence. Assertiveness and a demand for deference are often sufficient to achieve this
even when there is no relationship between the dimension on which expertise has been
earned and the dimension on which it is claimed. When there is a relationship between the
two dimensions, or when one can be fabricated, the conversion is easier and more certain
(Ofshe and Christman, 1986). Satyr hit upon the strategy of expanding the scope of his
authority by linking his acknowledged expertise to a claimed expertise. It was a well-chosen
strategy.
It is difficult to analyze how a person is drawn into a situation that seems, with hindsight
obviously undesirable. Often, when a victim attempts to recount what happened, the tale
seems to be the story of someone making a mistake few others would make. The victim is
often unaware of how social-structural variables condition and channel action. Often the
victim is no more capable than an uninvolved observer of appreciating how influence can
predictably bias judgment, how biased judgments can influence decisions, and how a
decision once taken prejudices future actions. Abbreviated stories about complex processes
often leave out details about the factors that influence choices at key points. Brief accounts
may also distort the sequence with which events occurred. A rational individual basing
decisions on faulty information may produce behavior that is difficult for an observer to see
as the product of rational choice.
In the world of computing, rational information processing is taken for granted because it is
a machine function. When wild conclusions are generated the common realization that the
fault probably lies with the data being analyzed is captured in the phrase, ―garbage in --
garbage out.‖ The phrase applies equally well in the analysis of the choices people make.
This report has attempted to present an analysis of the induction process by laying out the
structure of the environment within which Satyr transformed clerical authority into personal
power. It attempted to analyze the impact of the claims Satyr invented and the tactics he
used to make Eve‘s compliance a sensible option for her. The paper has also tried to show
that a person‘s decision-making during induction should be seen as a process that unfolds
over a period of time rather than as a choice made in a single moment. Decision-making in
the induction process is not based on anything like full disclosure of all the relevant facts. To
in comportment and in responsiveness to his desires. She would often lead Eve into the
performance of the sexual acts which Satyr desired.
Eve remained a participant in the cult for nearly two years. Throughout her involvement Eve
was conflicted about her participation. Although this paper has not detailed the techniques
Satyr used to maintain her silence and compliance after induction, Eve was carefully
controlled. She found herself doubting that she would physically survive if she broke with
Satyr. Her fears were based on supernatural considerations as well as on Satyr‘s threats to
the physical safety of others who wavered. She doubted that her husband would believe
her, given the enormity of Satyr‘s transgressions. At one point, she considered fleeing both
Satyr and her husband. Throughout her active involvement, she felt hopelessly trapped.
For reasons too complicated to explain hem Eve eventually broke Satyr‘s rule of secrecy and
sought advice from her sister. This led to defection from the cult.
Conclusion
Satyr was able to combine the power and authority inherent in his clerical role with
historical and cultural circumstances to structure a situation that allowed him to grossly
manipulate members of his congregation. Although his clerical role certified Satyr as an
expert on certain theological questions, it did not confer on him expertise on
psychotherapeutic matters. It is, however, a common observation in the literature about
social influence and decision-making that relatively high status, especially when based on
technical expertise, can easily be used to gain deference in areas beyond the scope of actual
competence. Assertiveness and a demand for deference are often sufficient to achieve this
even when there is no relationship between the dimension on which expertise has been
earned and the dimension on which it is claimed. When there is a relationship between the
two dimensions, or when one can be fabricated, the conversion is easier and more certain
(Ofshe and Christman, 1986). Satyr hit upon the strategy of expanding the scope of his
authority by linking his acknowledged expertise to a claimed expertise. It was a well-chosen
strategy.
It is difficult to analyze how a person is drawn into a situation that seems, with hindsight
obviously undesirable. Often, when a victim attempts to recount what happened, the tale
seems to be the story of someone making a mistake few others would make. The victim is
often unaware of how social-structural variables condition and channel action. Often the
victim is no more capable than an uninvolved observer of appreciating how influence can
predictably bias judgment, how biased judgments can influence decisions, and how a
decision once taken prejudices future actions. Abbreviated stories about complex processes
often leave out details about the factors that influence choices at key points. Brief accounts
may also distort the sequence with which events occurred. A rational individual basing
decisions on faulty information may produce behavior that is difficult for an observer to see
as the product of rational choice.
In the world of computing, rational information processing is taken for granted because it is
a machine function. When wild conclusions are generated the common realization that the
fault probably lies with the data being analyzed is captured in the phrase, ―garbage in --
garbage out.‖ The phrase applies equally well in the analysis of the choices people make.
This report has attempted to present an analysis of the induction process by laying out the
structure of the environment within which Satyr transformed clerical authority into personal
power. It attempted to analyze the impact of the claims Satyr invented and the tactics he
used to make Eve‘s compliance a sensible option for her. The paper has also tried to show
that a person‘s decision-making during induction should be seen as a process that unfolds
over a period of time rather than as a choice made in a single moment. Decision-making in
the induction process is not based on anything like full disclosure of all the relevant facts. To
