Transactional Analysis

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Transactional Analysis
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What is Transactional Analysis ?

• A theory of personality as well as a systematic
  psychotherapy for personal growth and personal
  change.
• Among psychological approaches, it is
  outstanding in the depth of its theory and the
  wide variety of its applications.
• It is finding wide application in organizations
  and education.

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Ego States

• Eric Berne made complex interpersonal transaction
  understandable when he recognized that the human
  personality is made up of three "ego states"
  each of which is an entire system of thought,
  feeling, and behavior from which we interact with
  each other.
• The distinctions of Parent, Adult and Child ego
  states form the foundation of Transactional
  Analysis theory.
• These concepts have spread into many areas of
  therapy, education, and consulting as practiced
  today. 

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Strokes and Transactions

• TA suggests that all interactions are made up of
  strokes and transactions, which we aim from one
  ego state to another.
• A STROKE is a single unit of recognition between
  two people. Strokes can be verbal or non-verbal,
  positive or negative, and of varying degrees of
  intensity.

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A Transaction

• A TRANSACTION is an exchange of two strokes
  between two people. The first stroke is called
  the stimulus, the second is called the response.
• Sometimes transactions get 'crossed', or are
  'ulterior', causing misunderstandings to occur,
  and communication to break down.

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Games People Play

• Berne labeled socially dysfunctional behavioral
  patterns as games, i.e.
• the repetitive, non-productive transactions to
  obtain strokes which reinforce negative feelings
  and self-concepts, and
• which mask the direct expression of thoughts,
  wants and needs.

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Life Script

• Eric Berne proposed that dysfunctional behavior
  is the result of self-limiting decisions made in
  childhood in the interest of survival.
• Such decisions culminate in what Berne called the
  Life Script, which is
• the unconscious life plan derived 'from early
  experiences that govern the way life is lived
  out.

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Contracts

• Transactional Analysis is based upon mutual
  contracting for change.
• Transactional Analysts view people as capable of
  deciding what they want for their lives.

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Ego States
Basic Needs
Life Positions
Im Not OK, Youre Not OK
Im OK, Youre not OK
Im OK Youre OK
Im Not OK, Youre OK
Traditional
PARENT
Love, Care
Regulating
Normative
Indifferent
Prescriptive
Over Indulgent
Power
Rescuing
Supportive
Ingratiating
Nurturing
ADULT
Rationality
Cynical
Task Obsessive
Problem Solving
Over- whelming
Adaptive
CHILD
Approval, Safety
Sulking
Resilient
Dependent
Complaining
Reactive
Intropunitive
Aggression
Withdrawn
Aggressive
Confronting
Satirical
Bohemian
Innovative
Creative
Creativity
Humorous
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Typical Behaviors
Advising Criticizing Ordering Telling Fault
Finding Moralizing Scolding Nurturing Caring Lovin
g
Fact Finding Questioning Analyzing Problem
Solving Helping Cooperating Planning Coordinating
Scheduling Thinking
Laughing Crying Sulking Being Frightened Playing
Enjoying Dancing Curiosity Obeying Dependent
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
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Aim of Transactional Analysis psychotherapy

• To help a person to choose to be in a particular
  inner state, instead of just allowing the current
  ego-state to dominate feelings, attitudes and
  behavior.
• Changing the Life Script
• Replacing organizational or societal scripting
  with cooperative non-violent behavior is the aim
  of other applications of Transactional Analysis.

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"I'm OK - You're OK"

• This is probably the best-known expression of
  the purpose of Transactional Analysis, which is
• To establish and reinforce the position that
  recognizes the value and worth of every person.
• Transactional Analysts regard people as basically
  "OK" and thus capable of change, growth, and
  healthy interactions.