Transactional Analysis

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS (TA)

Prepared and presented byAJITH KUMAR

Transactional Analysis is a theory developed by Dr. Eric Berne in the 1950s. Transactional Analysis is a social psychology and a method to improve communication. Today Transactional Analysis is used with people of all ages and stages of development in their various social settings – psychotherapy, counselling, organization development and education

From Psychoanalysis to Transactional Analysis

Id – Pleasure PrincipleEgo- Realistic Principle

Super Ego- Ethical Principle

ParentAdultChild

Transactional Analysis Basis• The theory outlines • how we have developed and treat ourselves• how we relate and communicate with others and • offers ways to enable us to change and grow. • Transactional Analysis is underpinned by the philosophy that: • people can change .• we all have a right to be in the world and be accepted • The aim is to increase personal autonomy, to support people in

developing their own personal and professional philosophies and to enable optimum psychological health and growth.

Transactional Analysis is a powerful tool in the hands ofOrganizational Development specialists to

• build a common strategy with which to address the particular needs of organizations and • to build a functional relationship and eliminate dysfunctional

organizational behaviors.

Transactional Analysis is truly an international theory relating to a diverse range of cultures.Theoretical concepts within the Transactional Analysis world are constantly being challenged and developed making it a rich dynamic process.

Transactional Stimulus and Response• A transaction is an exchange of communication (verbal or non-

verbal) between two people or within oneself.• An analysis of these transactions, gives us clues to our personality,

and helps us change ourselves.

• The initiator of the transaction is called the transactional stimulus.• The response of the respondent is called transactional response.

Structural AnalysisThe process of analyzing personality in terms of ego states is called structural analysis. An ego state is a consistant pattern of feeling and experience directly related to a corresponding consistant Pattern of behavior.There are three egostates people consistently use- Parent, Adult and Child

Berne devised the concept of ego states to help explain

how we are made up, and how we relate to others.

These are drawn as three stacked circles and they

are one of the building blocks of Transactional

Analysis. They categorize the ways we think, feel

and behave and are called Parent, Adult, and

Child. Each ego state is given a capital letter to denote

the difference between actual parents, adults and children.

P

A

C

Parent – Adult and Child Ego States

Ability to Assess the Ego State:

It is helpful to be able to assess or diagnose which ego

state in the structural model somebody is in.

In this way we can respond appropriately as well as

ensure which mode we are addressing.

Parent Ego State :

Feelings, attitudes, values, prejudices and behaviors imbibed from

significant parental figures are attributed to the Parent Ego state.

This is copied behavior; copied from our parents in early childhood.

A person reacting from this ego state will either be too judgmental,

critical or nurturing and patronizing in most situations. We tend to be

biased and prejudiced in our decisions.

Adult ego state

The Adult ego state is those feelings, attitudes, behaviors related to current here and now reality.We deal with things that are going on today in ways that are not unhealthily influenced by our past. Adult ego state functions like a computer, process data, organize information, estimate probabilities, make logical statements and provide non-judgemental feedback. When in our Adult we are able to see people as they are, rather than what we project onto them.

Child ego state

The Child ego state is a set of behaviors, thoughts &feelings which are remnants of a person’s past.

When a person is feeling extremely excited, he is in his child ego state.

Also, when he is sulking, angry or cowering with fear he is in the child ego state.

In such a state, thinking becomes muddled and our decision-making ability sinks to a very low level.

Functional Model of Egostates• Critical Parent Egostate – manifest themselves as disappointed, patronizing, controlling and critical.• Nurturing parent egostate – Loving, caring, counselling, concerned

and understanding.

CP NP

• Adapted Child – acts loyal, withdraws, please others, feels hurt, sulks and always feels one down• Rebellious Child – disobeys, throws temper tantrums, feels bored and

distracts• Free Child – tends to laugh, share fun, feel excited and enthusiastic

and expresses anger, sadness and fear freely without any inhibition.

AC FC

Three EGO States and the concept of Life:Parent is our 'Taught' concept of life Adult is our 'Thought' concept of life

Child is our 'Felt' concept of life

AdultThought Concept

ChildFelt Concept

ParentTaught

concept

Simple clues as to the Parent ego statePhysical - angry or impatient body-language and expressions, finger-pointing, patronizing gestures, Verbal - always, never, for once and for all, judgmental words, critical words, patronizing language, posturing language.

Simple clues as to the Child Ego State Physical - emotionally sad expressions, despair, temper tantrums, teasing, delight, laughter, speaking behind hand, raising hand to speak, squirming and giggling.Verbal - baby talk, I wish, I dunno, I want, I'm gonna, I don't care, oh no, not again, things never go right for me,

Simple clues as to the Adult Ego State

Physical - attentive, interested, straight-forward, tilted head, non-threatening and non-threatened.Verbal - why, what, how, who, where and when, how much, in what way, comparative expressions, reasoned statements

Remember while identifying EGO States:When you are trying to identify ego states:

Only 7% of meaning is in the words spoken.To analyze a transaction you need to see and feel the words. 38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said). 55% is in facial expression

Ego Portraits

• People have favorite, preferred ego state, depicted by larger circle in a diagramParent Adult Child

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Contamination of the Adult ego state

Contamination can be thought of as an intrusion of the content of

the Parent and/or Child ego state into the boundary of Adult ego

state. This occurs when we talk as if something is a fact or a reality

when really this is a belief.

P

A

C

Contamination of Adult Ego state :

The Adult ego state is contaminated by the Parent/Child ego state.

Growing up it is likely, that having no real experience to go by, we

believed this. Few Examples are;Racism, Don’t trust Government, I am not lovable, Children should not say their opinion before elders, I am OK if I keep quiet etc.

ACONTAMINATION

P

PARENT CONTAMINATION

C

P

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CHILD CONTAMINATION

CONTAMINATION

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C

DOUBLE CONTAMINATION –(PARENT &CHILD)

CONTAMINATION

CONTAMINATION

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EXCLUSIONOne or more ego states are totally blocked and the person operates only from the available ego state. This phenomenon is called Exclusion.

Parent excluded Adult Excluded Child Excluded

PC

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P P

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Complementary ‘Transactions’

• Interactions, responses, actions regarded as appropriate and expected from another person.• Parallel communication arrows, communication continues.

Example 1: #1 What time did you reach?#2 Around 11:15 am.

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Example 2:

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#1 You’re late again!

#2 I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.

Crossed ‘Transactions’• Interactions, responses, actions NOT regarded as appropriate

or expected from another person.• Arrows cut each other causing communication breakdown.Example 1 #1 What is the time?

#2 There’s a clock on the wall, why don’t you figure it out yourself?

P

A

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Crossed ‘Transactions’

Example 2 #1 You’re late again!#2 Yeah, I know, I had a flat tire.

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Ulterior ‘Transactions’• Interactions, responses, actions which are different

from those explicitly stated• Sending one message overtly (Social level) but sending

a parallel message (Psychological Level)Example #1 What is the time now? (Teacher asking the student

who being late to class)

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Blend of All Three Ego states :

Transactional Analysis teaches the individual to live in the here and now. It is not okay to stay on any one ego state all the time. Our

personality has to be a blend of all the three ego states.

THANK YOU