SORC analysis – how to understand the function of a behaviour

If CBT had a single tool playing the lead role, it would be the functional analysis. In Sweden usually used in the SORC format. The analysis answers the question every CBT therapist asks first: "What is keeping this behaviour alive?" Here is how to build a clinical SORC that actually works.

What does SORC stand for?

• S – Stimulus (the triggering situation, both external and internal).
• O – Organism (the person's vulnerabilities, interpretations, bodily state in the moment).
• R – Response (the behaviour actually carried out – visible or mental).
• C – short-term Consequences (what happened immediately – relief, distraction, avoidance?).
• C – long-term Consequences (what was the cost over time – lost relationships, a narrower life, a worsened problem?).

Why SORC and not just ABC?

ABC (Antecedent–Behaviour–Consequence) describes what precedes behaviour, the behaviour itself and its consequences. The Swedish SORKK format belongs to an extended behavioural-analysis tradition, with Kanfer and Saslow among its early contributors. The organism component considers personal conditions. The version described here separates short-term and long-term consequences; other SORKC variants distinguish contingency from consequence. Immediate relief can reinforce avoidance despite longer-term costs, but other learning processes can also maintain behaviour.

Example: panic disorder

A patient with panic disorder gets off the underground halfway through the journey because their heart is racing. Here's what the SORC looks like for that moment:

• S: On an underground train, a long stretch between stops, hot and cramped.
• O: Hasn't slept properly. Interprets the racing heart as "it's happening now". Read about sudden cardiac death earlier in the week.
• R: Gets off at the next station, sits down on a bench, calls their partner.
• C (short-term): Anxiety drops within a few minutes. Calms down. Avoids the discomfort.
• C (long-term): Confirms to the brain that the underground is dangerous. Avoids more places. Life gets smaller. The next panic attack comes sooner.

How to build a clinical SORC

1. Choose a specific occasion

Avoid vague descriptions like "when I feel anxious" and use a specific moment instead, such as "yesterday at 3:20pm when I was going to catch the bus home". The more concrete, the better the analysis.

2. Map S: external and internal stimuli

External stimuli are sensory impressions (place, time, people, sounds). Internal stimuli are thoughts, bodily sensations and feelings that become triggers. Don't miss the internal ones: they're usually stronger than the external ones.

3. Describe O – vulnerability in that moment

Sleep, hunger, hormonal phase, alcohol still in the system, past experiences, current life events, cognitive schemas. This is where the patient's history comes in – but only what's relevant to this particular occasion.

4. Define R: exactly what was done

Both visible behaviours (drank three glasses of wine, locked themselves in, left the room) and mental ones (ruminated, sought reassurance, mentally checked). Expect the patient to miss the mental ones. Ask actively.

5. Sort C (short) and C (long)

Short-term: what improved immediately? (Almost always: anxiety dropped.) Long-term: what got worse? (Almost always: life got smaller, the problem got worse, the person had fewer experiences of coping.)

What SORC gives you as a therapist

• A shared understanding with the patient of why things look the way they do.
• A map of where in the loop treatment can intervene (change S, alter O, change R, make the Cs visible).
• A basis for the case formulation that links individual situations into a pattern.
• A teaching tool that helps the patient start noticing their own behaviours in real time.

Common pitfalls

• Too abstract S and R – the analysis becomes intellectual rather than clinical.
• No distinction between short-term and long-term consequences – then the point disappears.
• Missing mental Rs (rumination, mental reassurance-seeking, daydreaming) – common in OCD, GAD and depression.
• SORC is done only once and then filed away. Good case work requires several SORCs over time.

From SORC to treatment

Once you have a clear SORC, treatment options open up. Does S need to change? (Environmental adjustment, sleep habits.) Can O be modified? (Cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, conscious body awareness.) Should R be replaced? (Exposure, skills training, behavioural activation.) Do the Cs need to be made visible to the patient? (Often the first step: nothing changes until the patient sees the cost for themselves.)

Frequently asked questions