Transaction analysis

Neeraj Batra / Session 01

Personality Enhancement Program

(PEP I)

Infinity Business School


PEP I

Neeraj Batra/ Transactional Analysis

Understanding Personal & Interpersonal

Relationships

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS (TA)


PEP I

o Concept By Eric Berne, Father Of Personality Analysis

o Tracks the concept of Identity and its key components

o Conventionally Adolescence is a period of Identity Crisis

o It is the Twilight period between Childhood and Adulthood

o Berne however felt that stress and conflict persists perpetually

o He divided each personality into three components-Parent, Adult &

Child

Introduction



PEP I

o Each personality is an amalgam and interaction of these three

components

o No one has a single, solid, consistent character at all times

o This creates dissonance and Identity crisis even for adults

o The personality Berne felt is more fluid and not solid and consistent

o We may at times act childlike (selfish), adult like (realistic) and Parent

like (preachy)

o These three "ego" states are the main basis for TA

The Components



PEP I

o A Transaction : communication/inter exchange between people

o TA involves analyzing the ego states people are transacting in

o The concept of Life Script- the predominant way we conduct our life

o This is a pre-conscious life plan on the way we live our lives

o Many of these stem from self limiting decisions made in childhood

o Concepts such as Strokes, Stamp Collection and Games (Socially

dysfunctional behaviour)

Other Key Concepts



PEP I

o The Parent is an iconic status symbol

o Demands conformity, control and authority

o Uses sanctions, rewards and encouragement

o Through absorbed conditioning we sub-consciously pick our parents behaviour patterns

o Our Parent personality accordingly has a huge memory of recorded playbacks

o Parent personalities : linked with "How to", "Never", "Don't" and "Under no circumstances"

o Further classified into the Nurturing Parent & The Controlling Parent

The Parent



PEP I

o The Nurturing Parent is encouraging, overprotective, rewards and

passes good morals

o Although the Nurturing Parent cares for the Child it can Smother the

Childs development/initiative

o The Controlling Parent is strict and judgmental

o Wants the Child to succeed on the Parents index and terms

o The Controlling Parent does not tolerate arguments very well: Can

lead to Apathy

Nurturing & Controlling Parent



PEP I

o Our ability to think and act based on data and situations is our Adult

ability

o This is adapted Vs learnt behaviour

o The Adult is seldom emotional and is detached

o Adults are preoccupied with handling stimuli and taking decisions

o The Adults style is more "How do you say that", "What makes you

so sure"

o Adults are calm not easily swayed by rhetoric and involve active

listening

The Adult



PEP I

o Our Internal Feelings to external events is our Child status

o The Child is in control when anger, despair and excitement is

dominant

o The Child uses instinct, impulse and emotion for transacting

o Berne identifies 3 Child States of Natural Child, Adapted Child

and Lawyer Child

The Child



PEP I

o THE NATURAL CHILD

Curious, Inquisitive, Trusting, Loving and Aggressive

o THE ADAPTED CHILD

Has learnt how to deal with adults

Procrastinates (no trouble if you don’t take decisions)

Is a dreamer (expression of hidden desires)

Is compliant (Eager to Please)

Natural, Adapted Child



PEP I

o THE LAWYER CHILD

Always seeks transgression

Seeks forbidden rules

Seeks this transgression :

- without breaking laws

- or without detection

Lawyer Child



PEP I

o The Parent is thus our "TAUGHT CONCEPT OF LIFE"

o The Adult is our "THOUGHT CONCEPT OF LIFE"

o The Child is our " FELT CONCEPT OF LIFE"

Summary



PEP I


ADULT

PARENT

CHILD

Natural Parent Controlling Parent

Natural Child Lawyer Child

Adapted Child


PEP I

o Verbal Communication emotes 7 % thru words, 38 % thru

paralinguistic and 55 % by gestures

o The Person sending the stimuli is called an Agent

o The person responding is called a respondent

o Interpersonal skills breakdown when our alter ego state clashes with

the respondents

o This may happen as agents or as respondents

o Transactions can be broken into Complementary and Crossed

Transactions

Transactions: Key Concepts



PEP I

o For successful interpersonal/communication skills Transactions

must be Complementary

o Adult To Adult

o These also happen if they go back and forth from a receiving ego

state to the sending ego state

o Parent to Child stimuli responded with Child to Parent would be

complementary

Complementary Transactions



PEP I


P

C

A

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A

Complementary Transactions


PEP I

o In Crossed Transactions there is averse reaction from one or

both parties

o These are transactions where alter ego states are at variance on

to and from inter exchange

Crossed Transactions



PEP I

Crossed Transaction


P

C

A

P

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PEP I

o Ulterior Transactions are the most damaging.

o In these the same person displays two ego states

o Usually happens where you say something and mean or do another

o These cause huge interpersonal transaction breakdowns

Ulterior Transactions



PEP I

o ADULT (PHYSICAL) - Attentive, interested, straight forward, non threatening

o ADULT (VERBAL) - Why, what, how, where, reasoned/ opinion statements

o CHILD (PHYSICAL) - Emotional, Despair, tantrums, shrugging shoulders,

squirming, giggling

o CHILD (VERBAL) - I wish, I don’t care, whatever, Oh no, worst day/best day of

my life, superlatives

o PARENT (PHYSICAL) - Arms folded, finger pointing, threatening

o PARENT (VERBAL) - Don’t you dare, Should not, Without my permission,

T A helps an understanding based on stimuli on what alter ego state to adapt

Stimuli of Adult, Child and Parent
