Transactional Analysis in Marketing

Transactional analysis is a theory about personality, personality development and communication. Its ideas were
developed by Eric Berne in the 1!"s, published in his Transactional Analysis in #sychotherapy $1!1%, then
popularised through his later books, notably &ames #eople #lay, The #sychology o' (uman )elationships $1*+% and
,hat -o .ou /ay A'ter .ou /ay (ello0 $112%, and those o' his disciples eg Thomas (arris, I3m 45, you3re 45, $11*%.
Transactional analysis suggests models to observe and understand everyday communication. Its main ideas relate to
ego states, transactions, games, strokes, drivers and li'e positions. I3ve 'ound these very use'ul in analysing services
sales and marketing.
An Ego state is a consistent pattern o' 'eeling and e6perience, and normally associated with particular patterns o'
behaviour. The three ego states are #arent, Adult and 7hild8
The #arent state may be 7ritical $should, ought, must, never% or 9urturing :there, there sweetie. Try again.
It:s all right:
The Adult state consists o' organi;ed, logical, problem solving :(ow, why, where, who, what:
The 7hild state may be 9atural and /pontaneous8 < ,ow, look at me=, or Adapted child 8 :I' you say so>=
The #arent state is based on thoughts and 'eelings, derived 'rom recordings in our brain, copied 'rom parents or
other authority 'igures that 'eature in our li'e. It includes warnings, punishments and rules, but also encouragement
and loving nurture. It may emphasise what a person $ourselves or someone else% should do. The recordings are
permanent ? they cannot be erased.
#arent may be 9urturing or 7ritical #arent, with an emphasis on protecting and caring $'or someone else or
ourselves% or critici;ing $again, someone else or ourselves%. The #arent state is identi'ied by gestures, posture and
'ace e6pressions. @,hat a shame=, @)idiculous=, @Anacceptable=, @,ell done, young man= @(ow many times have I
told you= B are verbal cues. (ead shaking, pursed lips, 'urrowed brow, sighing, armed 'olded, or patting another
person on the back are verbal cues. /o, adults under the in'luence o' @#arent= are Cudgmental, regulatory and
conventional, or supportive and nurturing. The #arental state can be directed towards others, or inwards, putting
ourselves down as a critical parent once did or encouraging as a nurturing #arent once did.
The Adult state consists o' acDuiring data through e6ploring and testing ideas. It is concerned with how things work,
or how to achieve things. It is not emotional or needBdriven, but reasoning and 'ocused on problem solving. Adult
includes many Duestions ? 'or e6ample, @,ho0=, @(ow0=, @,hen0=
The 7hild state consists o' 'eelings and emotional reactions permanently recorded 'rom early years, in response to
e6ternal events. A child may 'eel angry, hurt or con'used. ,hen praised, a child e6periences are happy and positive.
These recordings are triggered by events in adult lives. There are two types o' 7hild ego state Adapted 7hild and
9atural, with respectively an emphasis on compliance with authority or on 'ree e6pression o' 'eelings. The 7hild
state makes people creative, emotional, insecure and seeking pleasure @I wish=. @I want=, @I don3t know=, @I don3t
care=. 9onBverbal behaviours include giggling, laughter, shoulder shrugging, whining voice.
Each ego state may be 'unctional. 7reative 7hild can be valuable in brainstorming situations. )ules o' thumb 'rom
#arent can help where many unknowns would otherwise lead to progress stalling. (owever, 7hild and #arent can be
very dys'unctional. The only state always desirable is Adult because it3s aware o' the #arent, the 7hild and the
situation.
The Adult determines what behaviour is appropriate. /o, the lesson is not to stay in Adult state all the time, but to
access the Eadult ego3 and use it to understand the origins and nature o' thoughts and 'eelings and to monitor
discrepancies between the current situation and our reactions to it. All three states are eDually valid and needed to
enCoy a happy li'e. #eople e6hibit all three, but one may dominate the other two. ,e can change how o'ten one uses
one ego state by developing another. Anderstanding ego states o' onesel' and others increases e''ectives o'
communication.
A transaction is a social interaction that can be verbal and nonBverbal. The initiating message is called the stimulus
and the reply is called the response. #eople communicate with others to meet their needs. The way we communicate
depends on our ego states throughout the transaction.
Most organisations have a predominant ego state in their approach to marketing, sales and service, though the state
may vary between the three 'unctions. They may also have a secondary state, or two states in con'lict. As we show
later, an organisation3s approach to marketing and sales is strongly a''ected by this predominant ego state,
particularly in the area o' customer relationships.
Transactions may be complementary, crossed and ulterior. 7omplementary transactions are when a message gets the
e6pected response 'rom the other person. 7ommunication proceeds smoothly as long as transactions are
complementary. It occurs between two Eego states3 which reward one another. Though AdultBtoBAdult transactions
are most e''ective, communication and understanding can occur in #arentBtoB7hild, #arentBtoB#arent, or in 7hildBtoB
7hild complementary transactions.
In crossed transactions, a message sent or behaviour e6hibited by one person:s ego state is reacted to by an
incompatible, une6pected ego state on the part o' the other person. 7rossed transactions cause much interpersonal
con'lict. 7ommunication may break down unless one or both individuals change ego state. 7rossed transactions may
cause hurt and 'rustration.
Alterior transactions are when one or both parties are 'unctioning in two ego states at the same time. These
transactions are comple6 and subtle and may be damaging to interpersonal relations. A message will o'ten be
super'icially adult to adult, with a hidden meaning o' parent to child. The words send one message while the voice,
gestures send another. There is a di''erence between what is said and what is meant. For business purposes,
communication is most e''ective when transactions are complementary.
A &ame is a pattern o' transactions with a sur'ace logic but hidden meaning and an attempt to draw in an
unsuspected participant. The outcome o' games is always a winBlose position, one party satis'ies its interests at the
e6pense o' the other party. An outcome o' a game is Ebad 'eelings3. Eric Berne described over ninety games. Among
the most common are the 'ollowing8
1. :I' it weren:t 'or you, I could do . . . $or could have done ...%.: This game is e6tremely common in 'amilial
relations B as when addressed by the son to his parents8 :I' you hadn:t 'orced me to go to boarding school, I
could have been a concert pianist by now.: At work, convention o'ten prevents this game being played :live:,
but it may well be rehearsed inwardly or to a colleague8 :I' the boss hadn:t had it in 'or me, I could have
been running Area G by now.:
2. :,hy don:t you.. 0:H :.es, but ...: as in :My Cob:s impossibleH how can I deal with the bunch o' bastards who are
supposed to work 'or this agency and service twenty maCor clients as well0: :,hy don:t you hand over some
o' the clients to other people B #aula, 'or instance, or Miles0 EBecause the clients all want to have the 7hie'
E6ecutive service their accountH i' they don:t have me they:ll be o''.3 :,ell, you always say hal' o' them are
unpro'itable B so hand those over. I' they go, you:ve lost nothing.3 :7an:t do that B losing accounts is bad 'or
sta'' morale3. EIsn:t having a 7hie' E6ecutive who is too tired to do his Cob properly bad 'or sta'' morale03
:.es, but3 .
I. 4ther games include :.ou got me into this:, :There I go again: and :,hy don:t you and he 'ight0: Most games
are dys'unctional.
&ame playing is common in marketing. It is o'ten the backBbone o' marketing communications. Think o' the number
o' adverts that communicate, at a subtle level, EI' it wasn3t 'or the 'act that you $consumer% are so>3stupidJunable
to manage your own a''airsJunable to plan 'or your 'uture, 'eed your children properly>>>.we would not have to
sellJsupply our products in this way3.
Many sales processes have an underlying game o' 9I&./4B $9ow I3ve &ot .ou, /on o' A Bitch% or &44T4T $&et 4ut o'
That 4ne Then%, in which the supplier aims to trap customers into a behavioural pattern that rein'orces dependence
on the supplier. This builds up resentment and negativity until another Erescuing3 supplier comes along. An e6ample
o' this in 'inancial services is the "K balance trans'er o''er. The customer moves account and the cycle starts again.
The -rama Triangle $Lictim, #ersecutor and )escuer% underpins many games and is another set o' interactions
evidenced in 'inancial services marketing and sales. A customer builds up debt, becoming the victim. The supplier
o''ers support and debt consolidation, becoming the rescuer. In the process the customer consolidates and treats
themselves to a Ecar3. By increasing the loan at the supplier3s encouragement, customers 'eel that they have become
the victim $driven by a 9ot 45 #osition%, 'alls behind on repayments and blames the F/ 7ompany 'or bad advice E/ee
,hat .ou3ve Made Me -o>>..3.
All this may be the underlying game, which easily 'lips into EI' it wasn3t 'or you doing this, I wouldn3t be in this
mess.3 The supplier may now have 'irst charge on the deeds o' the house and it can become E9I&./4B,3 E9ow I3ve got
you>>>..3. The #ersecutor message, o' which the customer many not be aware, is EI haven3t trusted you and have
been watching you, hoping you would slip up and now you have.3
/troking is any act o' recognition, verbal or nonBverbal, 'or another. #eople need a''ection, recognition and praise.
/trokes may be positive, negative or mi6ed. #ositive strokes 'eel good when they are received and contribute to a
person:s sense o' being 45. 9egative strokes hurt emotionally and make us 'eel less 45 about ourselves. Even
negative strokes are regarded better than none at all. There is also a di''erence between conditional and
unconditional strokes. 7onditional strokes are o''ered to employees i' they per'orm correctly. Anconditional strokes
are presented without any connection to behaviour.
/ocial interaction can be viewed $'rom one aspect% as an economy o' interactions. The value o' each interaction can
be measured in various ways. In business the value o' interactions are measured in sales, units o' sales, in a variety
o' marketing values $numbers o' responses, levels o' responses%. In TA the unit can be described in terms o' strokes.
The Duestion 'or sales and marketing is ? what is the value o' each stroke0
In emails
Advertising
Metters
In te6ts
In website visits
and how can their delivery be best managed.
4ne Duestion is how much o' a stroke is involved in each e6change, is it a positive or negative stroke0
It is reasonable to suggest that the greater the positive Estroke3, the greater the likelihood o' 'urther engagement in
the sales process. #eople do seek negative strokes, and these are used in 'aceBtoB'ace selling e.g. the challenge EI3m
not sure you could a''ord this one, the one your neighbour bought.3
.ou can model interactions in transactional analysis terms and assess the value in terms o' strokes. In a very simple
physical Estroking3 e6periment, it has been shown that people tip more, and more 'reDuently, i' a waitress touches
the customer in the process o' orderBtaking and bill payment.
,e all stroke our customers in marketing and selling to them, but we may not be aware how much is negative, how
much positive and how much conditional. The balance between them in'luences how our customers 'eel about us in
the long term, and whether we remain loyal. (owever, don3t make the mistake o' thinking that positive stroking
reDuires delighting the customer. In 'act, delighting the customer a'ter a long period o' disappointing them can be a
negative stroke $why couldn3t you have been so good when I really needed you to be0%.
-rivers8 There are a number o' common #arent messages B or :tapes: ? playing to us. These strongly in'luence B or
drive ? our thoughts, 'eelings and behaviour through our Adapted 7hild $A7%.
The common drivers are8
1. Be per'ect8 the driver leads the A7 in us to be an6ious about making mistakes, and we may become
unnecessarily uncertain about committing ourselves to a decision
2. (urry up8 the driver pushes the A7 to do things Duickly, and we may become needlessly an6ious about delays
I. #lease others8 the driver makes the A7 an6ious to please others people and may lead us to be too
dependent on opinions o' others
+. Try hard8 become too concerned with the striving at the e6pense o' achievement
!. Be strong8 encourages the A7 in us to control its emotions, and may lead us to deny our 'eelings, or to
blame them on someone else
These drivers are o'ten the hidden trigger points in advertising and marketing.
Each o' us may show all 'ive o' these driver behaviours at some time or another, but most have one dominant driver,
which has the greatest in'luence on their behaviour. 9eutrali;ing a driver is a matter o' establishing a positive
message ? one that contradicts the driver in the inner dialogue8
Driver Neutralising message
Be per'ect .ou:re good enough as you are
(urry up Take your time
#lease others #lease yoursel'
Try hard -o it
Be strong Be open and e6press your 'eelings
It is important to consider what messages we give our sales, marketing and service teams and o' course our
marketing communications agencies and other business partners who in'luence how our customers are managed $eg
distributors% and compare it with the messages we give to customers ? what are we saying and what are we trying to
do0
,ith sales training, these messages are rein'orced in learned behaviours ? they become embedded in the dayBtoBday
interactions with customers. 7ustomers then rein'orce these behaviours with their own interactions and so
strengthen the cycle. ,hat are the drivers that organisations are trying to build into their relationships with
customers0 (ow aware are organisations o' the e6tent to which their customer management strategies are built on
these Edrivers3 and Egames03 In the games and drivers are not conscious, how can they be managed, controlled and
developed0
There are 'our basic li'e positions B attitudes which people adopt and act out concerning their sel'Bworth and the
value o' others8
1. I:m 45, you:re 45 B coBoperate, share
2. I:m 45, you:re not 45 B compete, aggression
I. I:m not 45, you:re not 45 B avoid
+. I:m not 45, you:re 45 B submit to, concede
The 'irst position, developed by a little baby in relation to its parents, is I:m 45, you:re 45. It e6presses the baby3s
dependence and helplessness compared to that o' the parents. This position, according to Berne, in most cases
develops into one o' the other three li'e positions. The only truly positive position is that o' :I:m 45, you:re 45: ? I 'eel
good about mysel' and my sel'Besteem is high, and I also respect and regard you $other people% highly.
The li'e position we take can have either positive or negative impact on our lives. The model is use'ul when handling
di''icult situations. ? particularly those where a person has to come to terms with their own 'ailure in some proCect
or comes into con'lict with another person. The natural tendency o' many people is to trans'er their bad 'eelings
about the behaviour to the person himsel'. .our 'ailure in a proCect can lead you to think EI3m not 453. /omeone
else3s behaviour, at odds with yours, leads you to 'eel E(e is not 453. These 'eelings are not generally help'ul in
managing the situation.
Transactional analysis increases awareness both o' the sel' and o' others. It gives you a tool 'or in'luencing others.
Activating their 7hild, you stimulate creativity and enthusiasm. 7ommunicating on AdultBtoBAdult level you can
constructively deal with interpersonal con'lict. Awareness o' games that are played in organi;ations can help you
achieve better work relationships.
These li'e positions are critical in customer management terms. An understanding o' the stance a company takes
towards its customers reveals much o' how an organisation views itsel', its products, its market position and its
customers. 7onsider the winning 'inancial services advert EFor the Mi'e .ou -on3t .et 5now3 supported with the song
EThere may be trouble ahead.3 The message here was a clear E.ou are 9ot 453 ? even i' you thought you were.3 The
humour in the advert disguised its chilling and unnerving message.
Applying the ideas to sales and marketing
I see two areas 'or applying the ideas, both o' which suggest moving 'rom a situation in which the supplier and the
customer may perceive themselves as parent andJor child, with the risk o' crossed transactions.
The 'irst area is planning, the second area is in individual supplierBcustomer interactions. Both these areas are,
however, a re'lection o' the same underlying phenomenon.
In marketing planning and in managing interactions between customers and suppliers, there is o'ten the presumption
that the marketer3s Cob is to @know better than the market=, and Etell it what to do, based on superior knowledge
and Cudgement3. The supplier3s drive is to be per'ect, in the sense o' having the best marketing mi6, and the
customer3s drive is to be per'ect, in the sense o' getting the best deal or most appropriate o''er. This leads to a
situation in which customers are o''ered an inappropriate marketing mi6 ? products, prices, channels etc. The
supplier behaves as parent towards the child customers ? @i' you don3t buy this product, at this price, use this
channel etc., you don3t deserve me as a supplier=.
(owever, the customer senses this, and takes a similar parent view ? Ebecause you haven3t understood me, I3m not
going to let you sell to me3. This contrasts with the adultBadult complementary transaction approach, in which each
side e6changes in'ormation about their needs and plans and over a period arrive at an arrangement which suits them
both. They both become 45 with respect to each other, and become better at meeting each other3s needs.
I believe that the customer relationship should be open and inclusive. The customer is invited and encouraged to
participate 'ully in the marketing and sales relationship so as to build the relationship and shape the product. Even in
ElowBticket3 oneBo'' purchases the customer is invited to give 'eedback and engage ? the relationship is such that a
'eedback channel is open. The transactions are not crossed nor are they ulterior and the goal is an I3m 45, .ou3re 45
position. I' this is not the case then this can be recognised and a decision taken with open eyes.
,hat are the broader implications0 4rganisations should analyse their de'inition o' what a being a customer means.
This means taking into account their transactional approach $li'e position, game position, rewards approach%. For
e6ample, it is typical 'or an organisation to wield a Enegative stroke3 when a customer e6plains that they are
delaying a purchase. The customer may have been asked 'or a decision and i' the answer is Epostpone3, the
organisation gives a 9ot 45 stroke, leaving the customer con'used and 'eeling bad ? Eyou asked me 'or a decision, I
gave you my decision and now you don3t value me.3
For e6ample, bank customers3 inertia may be high and so negative stroke a'ter negative stroke may not be enough
'or the customer to move the account. But these customers talk to their 'riends and engage in Epoor me3 and EvictimB
like3 behaviour, ensuring that their 'riends will not trans'er to that particular supplier. These customers are harder to
engage in Adult to Adult planning with the supplier and typically use any initial Eplanning3 sessions to give vent to all
their pentBup negative 'eelings about the treatment the supplier has given them. They need to be engaged in a
dialogue over a period o' time.
Analysis o' the interactions between customer and supplier in di''erent situations $eg success'ul sale, de'erred
decision, re'usal% will produce data which will need to be analysed using di''erent criteria and approaches which are
sensitive to human behaviour and to attitudinal responses. 7ustomers should be involved in this analysis. There
should be greater depth in the search 'or meaning in the data.
Multichannel management will need to be replanned and designed, so both sides can sense and respond by the best
channel$s% and combine channels to optimum e''ect to manage each stage o' the Courney. The customer will need to
be included in this process and to shape this process with the supplier channels. This will need to be undertaken in a
more 'le6ible manner than usual. The customer relationship may reDuire its greatest investment when the customer3s
purchasing need is most sated and when many customers are looking 'or a positive stroke ? rather than immediately
preBsale.
-ata collection processes will need to be more sensitive, able to collect more ambiguous data. 7ustomer
management processes need to be capable o' allowing sta'' to respond more sensitively during the process, and to
be more inclusive with the customer. 9ew Duestions will need to be asked. Those involved in the customer
management process need to be competent to direct, manage, and deliver this new world 'or the customer.
4bviously, in a per'ect world, adult would be matched with adult, but this is rare. (owever, all is not lost, and a
company which discovers that it tries to be adult but in general is 'aced with parent or child customers can educate
them as to the bene'its o' the adult state. (owever, this takes time and resources, so one o' the analyses reDuired
relates to what it does take to improve matching and how long it will take. Both sides need time to learn, and o'
course the process o' change is not riskless.
The transactional analysis approach has important implications 'or many topics in marketing, including8
7ustomer Courney and e6perience management, including the importance o' understanding the perspective
and perceptions o' customers and customerB'acing people
Motivation
Mearning
MultiBchannel customer management
/trategy
#rocesses
/ystems
7ustomer data management
Measurement
7ompetitive advantage
These would need to be identi'ied as part o' an audit. Indeed, once the principles have been understood, a
straight'orward egoBstate audit approach can be adopted, allowing a company to8
-iagnose where it and its customers are
-eciding where it wants to go
Finding out how to get there
-eciding how to pace it
Implementing, monitoring and control
A critical part o' this process is the auditing o' customerB'acing sta'', 'irstBline management and customers
themselves, to identi'y how the relationship is being managed at the moment, and the potential 'or 'uture change.
Transactional analysis (TA to its adherents), is an integrative approach to the theory
of psychology and psychotherapy. It is described as integrative because it has elements
of psychoanalytic, humanist and cognitive approaches. TA was first developed by Canadian-born
! psychiatrist "ric #erne, starting in the late $%&'s.
According to the International Transactional Analysis Association,
($)
TA *is a theory of personality and a
systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and personal change*.
$.
As a theory of personality, TA describes how people are structured psychologically. It uses
what is perhaps its best +nown model, the ego-state (,arent-Adult-Child) model, to do this.
The same model helps e-plain how people function and e-press their personality in their
behavior
($)
..
As #erne set his ,sychology up, there are four life positions that a person can hold and
holding a particular psychological position has profound implications for how an individual
operationali/es his or her life. The positions are stated as0
$.
I*m 12 and you are 12. This is the healthiest position about life and it means that I feel
good about myself and that I feel good about others and their competence.
..
I*m 12 and you are not 12. In this position I feel good about myself but I see others as
damaged or less than and it is usually not healthy,
3.
I*m not 12 and you are 12. In this position the person sees him4herself as the wea+
partner in relationships as the others in life are definitely better than the self. The
person who holds this position will unconsciously accept abuse as 12.
5.
I*m not 12 and you are not 12. This is the worst position to be in as it means that I
believe that I am in a terrible state and the rest of the world is as bad. Conse6uently
there is no hope for any ultimate supports.
(.)
3.
It is a theory of communication that can be e-tended to the analysis of systems and
organisations.
($)
5.
It offers a theory for child development by e-plaining how our adult patterns of life originated in
childhood.
($)
This e-planation is based on the idea of a 78ife (or Childhood) !cript70 the
assumption that we continue to re-play childhood strategies, even when this results in pain or
defeat. Thus it claims to offer a theory of psychopathology.
($)
&.
In practical application, it can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of many types of
psychological disorders and provides a method of therapy for individuals, couples, families
and groups.
9.
1utside the therapeutic field, it has been used in education to help teachers remain in clear
communication at an appropriate level, in counselling and consultancy,
inmanagement and communications training and by other bodies.
($)
Philosophy[edit]

,eople are 12: thus each person has validity, importance, e6uality of respect.
(3)

,ositive reinforcement increases feelings of 12.

(5)

All people have a basic lovable core and a desire for positive growth.
(5)

"veryone (with only few e-ceptions, such as the severely brain-damaged) has the capacity to
thin+.
(3)

All of the many facets of an individual have a positive value for them in some way.
(5)

,eople decide their story and destiny, therefore these decisions can be changed.
(3)

All emotional difficulties are curable.

(5)
;reedom from historical maladaptations embedded in the childhood script is re6uired in order to
become free of inappropriate, inauthentic and displaced emotions which are not a fair and honest
reflection of here-and-now life (such as echoes of childhood suffering, pity-me and other mind games,
compulsive behavior and repetitive dysfunctional life patterns). The aim of change under TA is to move
toward autonomy (freedom from childhood script), spontaneity, intimacy, problem solving as opposed
to avoidance or passivity, cure as an ideal rather than merely ma+ing progress and learning new
choices.
History[edit]
TA is a neo-;reudian theory of personality. #erne*s ego states are heavily influenced by ;reud*s id, ego
and super-ego, although they do not precisely correspond with them.
(&)
A primary difference between
#erne and ;reud is the former*s treatment of the observable transactions +nown as 7games7. A
number of boo+s populari/ed TA in the general public but did little to gain acceptance in the
conventional psychoanalytic community. TA is considered by its adherents to be a more user-friendly
and accessible model than the conventional psychoanalytic model. A number of modern-day TA
practitioners emphasi/e the similarities with cognitive-behaviorist models while others emphasi/e
different models.
General[edit]
TA is not only post-;reudian but, according to its founder*s wishes, consciously e-tra-;reudian. That is
to say that, while it has its roots in psychoanalysis, since #erne was a psychoanalytically-
trained psychiatrist, it was designed as a dissenting branch of psychoanalysis in that it put its
emphasis on transactional, rather than 7psycho-7, analysis.
<ith its focus on transactions, TA shifted the attention from internal psychological dynamics to the
dynamics contained in people*s interactions. =ather than believing that increasing awareness of the
contents of unconsciously held ideas was the therapeutic path, TA concentrated on the content of
people*s interactions with each other. Changing these interactions was TA*s path to solving emotional
problems.
TA also differs to ;reudian analysis in e-plaining that an individual*s final emotional state is the result
of inner dialogue between different parts of the psyche, as opposed to the ;reudian hypothesis that
imagery is the overriding determinant of inner emotional state. (;or e-ample, depression may be due
to ongoing critical verbal messages from the inner ,arent to the inner Child.) #erne believed that it is
relatively easy to identify these inner dialogues and that the ability to do so is parentally suppressed in
early childhood.
(9)
In addition, #erne believed in ma+ing a commitment to 7curing7 his patients rather than >ust
understanding them. To that end he introduced one of the most important aspects of TA0 the contract?
an agreement entered into by both client and therapist to pursue specific changes that the client
desires.
=evising ;reud*s concept of the human psyche as composed of the id, ego, and super-ego, #erne
postulated in addition three 7ego states7?the ,arent, Adult, and Child states?which were largely
shaped through childhood e-periences. These three are all part of ;reud*s ego: none represent the id
or the superego.
nhealthy childhood e-periences can lead to these being pathologically fi-ated in the Child and ,arent
ego states, bringing discomfort to an individual and4or others in a variety of forms, including many
types of mental illness.
#erne considered how individuals interact with one another, and how the ego states affect each set
of transactions. nproductive or counterproductive transactions were considered to be signs of ego
state problems. Analy/ing these transactions according to the person*s individual developmental
history would enable the person to 7get better7. #erne thought that virtually everyone has something
problematic about their ego states and that negative behavior would not be addressed by 7treating7
only the problematic individual.
#erne identified a typology of common counterproductive social interactions, identifying these as
7games7.
#erne presented his theories in two popular boo+s on transactional analysis0 Games People
Play ($%95) and What Do You Say After You Say Hello? ($%@&). I'm !" You're !($%9%), written by
#erne*s longtime friend Thomas Anthony Aarris, is probably the most popular TA boo+.
#y the $%@'s, because of TA*s non-technical and non-threatening >argon and model of the human
psyche, many of its terms and concepts were adopted by eclectic therapists as part of their individual
approaches to psychotherapy. It also served well as a therapy model for groups of patients, or
marital4family counselees, where interpersonal (rather than intrapersonal) disturbances were the focus
of treatment. Critics
(citation needed)
have charged that TA?especially as loosely interpreted by those outside
the more formal TA community?is a pseudoscience, when it is in fact
(citation needed)
better understood as a
philosophy.
TA*s popularity in the .!. waned in the $%@'s, but it retains some popularity elsewhere in the world.
(@)
The more dedicated TA purists banded together in $%95 with #erne to form a research and
professional accrediting body, the International Transactional Analysis Association, or ITAA.
Development[edit]
8eaving psychoanalysis half a century ago, "ric #erne presented transactional analysis to the world as
a phenomenological approach supplementing ;reud*s philosophical construct with observable data.
Ais theory built on the science of <ilder ,enfield and =enB !pit/ along with the neo-psychoanalytic
thought of people such as ,aul ;edern,"doardo <eiss, and "ri+ "ri+son. #y moving to an
interpersonal motivational theory, he placed it both in opposition to the psychoanalytic traditions of his
day and within what would become the psychoanalytic traditions of the future.
(citation needed)
;rom #erne, transactional analysts have inherited a determination to create an accessible and user-
friendly system, an understanding of script or life-plan, ego states, transactions, and a theory of
groups.
Fifty years later[edit]
<ithin the overarching framewor+ of transactional analysis, more recent transactional analysts have
developed several different and overlapping theories of Transactional Analysis0 cognitive, behavioral,
relational, redecision, integrative, constructivist, narrative, body-wor+, positive psychological,
personality adaptational, self-reparenting, psychodynamic, and neuroconstructivist.
(citation needed)
.
!ome transactional analysts highlight the many things they have in common with cognitive-behavioral
therapists0 the use of contracts with clear goals, the attention to cognitive distortions (called 7Adult
decontamination7 or 7Child deconfusion7), the focus on the client*s conscious attitudes and behaviors
and the use of 7stro+es7.
(citation needed)
Cognitive-based transactional analysts use ego state identification to identify communication
distortions and teach different functional options in the dynamics of communication. !ome ma+e
additional contracts for more profound wor+ involving life-plans or scripts or with unconscious
processes, including those which manifest in the client-therapist relationship as transference and
countertransference, and define themselves as psychodynamic or relational transactional analysts.
!ome highlight the study and promotion of sub>ective well-being and optimal human functioning rather
than pathology and so identify with positive psychology.
(citation needed)
!ome are increasingly influenced by
current research in attachment, mother-infant interaction, and by the implications of interpersonal
neurobiology, and non-linear dynamic systems.
Key ideas[edit]
Cany of the core TA models and concepts can be categorised into
!tructural analysis - analysis of the individual psyche
Transactional analysis proper - analysis of interpersonal transactions based on structural
analysis of the individuals involved in the transaction
Dame analysis - repeating se6uences of transactions that lead to a predetermined outcome
subconsciously agreed to by the parties involved in the game
!cript analysis - a lifeplan that may involve long-term involvement in particular games in order
to reach the life pay-off of the individual
These concepts can be understood as follows0-
The Ego-State (or ParentAd!lt"hild# PA"$ model[edit]
This section*s tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone
!sed on %i&ipedia. !ee <i+ipedia*s guide to writing better articles for
suggestions. #cto$er %&'%(
At any given time, a person e-periences and manifests their personality through a mi-ture of
behaviours, thoughts and feelings. Typically, according to TA, there are three ego-states that people
consistently use0
Parent ('e(teropsyche'$) a state in which people behave, feel, and thin+ in response to an
unconscious mimic+ing of how their parents (or other parental figures) acted, or how they
interpreted their parent*s actions. ;or e-ample, a person may shout at someone out of frustration
because they learned from an influential figure in childhood the lesson that this seemed to be a
way of relating that wor+ed.
Ad!lt ('neopsyche'$) a state of the ego which is most li+e a computer processing information
and ma+ing predictions absent of ma>or emotions that could affect its operation. 8earning to
strengthen the Adult is a goal of TA. <hile a person is in the Adult ego state, he4she is directed
towards an ob>ective appraisal of reality.
"hild ('archaeopsyche'$) a state in which people behave, feel and thin+ similarly to how they
did in childhood. ;or e-ample, a person who receives a poor evaluation at wor+ may respond by
loo+ing at the floor, and crying or pouting, as they used to when scolded as a child. Conversely, a
person who receives a good evaluation may respond with a broad smile and a >oyful gesture of
than+s. The Child is the source of emotions, creation, recreation, spontaneity and intimacy.
#erne differentiated his ,arent, Adult, and Child ego states from actual adults, parents, and children,
by using capital letters when describing them. These ego-states may or may not represent the
relationships that they act out. ;or e-ample, in the wor+place, an adult supervisor may ta+e on the
,arent role, and scold an adult employee as though they were a Child. 1r a child, using their ,arent
ego-state, could scold their actual parent as though the parent were a Child.
<ithin each of these ego states are subdivisions. Thus ,arental figures are often either
more nurturing (permission-giving, security-giving) or more critici)ing (comparing to family traditions
and ideals in generally negative ways): Childhood behaviors are either more natural (free) or
more adapted to others. These subdivisions categori/e individuals* patterns of behavior, feelings, and
ways of thin+ing, that can be functional (beneficial or positive) or dysfunctional4counterproductive
(negative)..
#erne states that there are four types of diagnosis of ego states. They are0 7behavioral7 diagnosis,
7social7 diagnosis, 7historical7 diagnosis, and 7phenomenological7 diagnosis. A complete diagnosis
would include all four types. It has subse6uently been demonstrated that there is a fifth type of
diagnosis, namely 7conte-tual7, because the same behavior will be diagnosed differently according to
the conte-t of the behavior.
(E)
"go-states do not correspond directly to !igmund ;reud*s "go, !uperego and Id, although there are
obvious parallels0 !uperego4,arent: "go4Adult: Id4Child. "go states are consistent for each person,
and (argue TA practitioners) are more observable than the components of ;reud*s model. In other
words, the ego state from which someone is communicating is evident in his or her behavior, manner
and e-pression.
There is no 7universal7 ego-state. ;or e-ample, each Child ego state is uni6ue to the childhood
e-periences, mentality, intellect, and family of each individual: it is not a generali/ed childli+e state.
1ne ego state can become contaminated from another ego state. ;or e-ample, when a person
mista+es ,arental rules and slogans for here-and-now Adult reality (the Adult ego state has become
contaminated with the ,arent), and when beliefs are ta+en as facts (the Adult ego state has become
contaminated with the Child). 1r when a person 7+nows7 that everyone is laughing at him because
7they always laughed7. This would be an e-ample of a childhood contamination (a Child contamination
of the Adult), insofar as here-and-now reality is being overlaid with memories of historic incidents in
childhood.
"go-state symbiosis is also possible according to #erne.
(%)
In a symbiotic relationship, one participant
borrows an ego state from the other participant and incorporates it into their personality. ;or instance,
soldiers may absolve themselves of the 6uestion of the morality of their actions by deferring to their
superiors. In this case, the soldier has incorporated their superior*s ,arent ego state into their persona
(e.g. #anality of evil).
Although TA theory claims that "go states do not correspond directly to thin+ing, feeling, and >udging,
as these processes are present in every ego state, this claim appears to be self-contradictory to the
claim that the Adult is li+e a computer processing information, therefore not feeling unless it is
contaminated by the Child. A deeper understanding of TA is necessary in order to resolve this parado-.
;or e-ample #erne discusses
($')
how each ego state (,arent, Adult and Child) can be perceived to be
a further division of ,arent-Adult-Child within the ego state itself.
($')
*orn to Win discusses how one of
the goals of TA is to achieve integration of the other ego states into the Adult (an integrated Adult ego
state) so that the awareness of the entire persona is elevated to the level the Adult*s perception of
reality.
($$)
#erne suspected that ,arent, Adult, and Child ego states might be tied to specific areas of the human
brain: an idea that has not been proved.
(@)
The three ego state model has been 6uestioned by a TA group in Australia, who have devised a 7two
ego-state model7 as a means of solving perceived theoretical problems0
7The two ego-state model says that there is a Child ego-state and a ,arent ego-state, placing the Adult
ego-state with the ,arent ego-state. (...) Aow we learn to spea+, add up and learn how to thin+ is all
>ust copied from our teachers. Fust as our morals and values are copied from our parents. There is no
absolute truth where facts e-ist out side a person*s own belief system. #erne mista+enly concluded
that there was and thus mista+enly put the Adult ego-state as separate from the ,arent ego-state.7
($.)
($3)
It is not clear if the concept of a learnt perception of reality is counterindicative to #erne*s theory of
identifiably separate modes of rational and moral thought, however.
Transactions and stro&es[edit]
+ransactions are the flow of communication, and more specifically the unspo+en psychological
flow of communication that runs in parallel. Transactions occur simultaneously at both e-plicit and
psychological levels. "-ample0 sweet caring voice with sarcastic intent. To read the real
communication re6uires both surface and non-verbal reading.
Stro,es are the recognition, attention or responsiveness that one person gives another.
!tro+es can be positive (nic+named 7warm fu//ies7
($5)
) or negative (7cold pric+lies7). A +ey idea is
that people hunger for recognition, and that lac+ing positive stro+es, will see+ whatever +ind they
can, even if it is recognition of a negative +ind. <e test out as children what strategies and
behaviours seem to get us stro+es, of whatever +ind we can get.
,eople often create pressure in (or e-perience pressure from) others to communicate in a way that
matches their style, so that a boss who tal+s to his staff as a controlling parent will often engender self-
abasement or other childli+e responses. Those employees who resist may get removed or labeled as
7trouble7.
Transactions can be e-perienced as positive or negative depending on the nature of the stro+es within
them. Aowever, a negative transaction is preferred to no transaction at all, because of a fundamental
hunger for stro+es.
The nature of transactions is important to understanding communication.
*inds of transactions[edit]
There are basically three +inds of transactions0
$. =eciprocal4Complementary (the simplest)
.. Crossed
3. lterior G Huple-4Angular (the most comple-)
+eciprocal or complementary transactions[edit]
A simple, reciprocal transaction occurs when both partners are addressing the ego state the other is in.
These are also called complementary transactions. -.ample '0
A0 7Aave you written the reportI7 (Adult to Adult)
,0 7Jes - I*m about to email it to you.7 (Adult to Adult)
-.ample %0
A0 7<ould you li+e to s+ip this meeting and go watch a film with me insteadI7 (Child to Child)
,0 7I*d love to - I don*t want to wor+ anymore, what should we go and seeI7 (Child to Child)
-.ample /0
A0 7Jou should have your room tidy by nowK7 (,arent to Child)
,0 7<ill you stop hassling meI I*ll do it eventuallyK7 (Child to ,arent).
Communication li+e this can continue indefinitely. (Clearly it will stop at some
stage - but this psychologically balanced e-change of stro+es can continue
for some time).
"rossed transactions[edit]
Communication failures are typically caused by a *crossed transaction* where
partners address ego states other than that their partner is in. Consider the
above e-amples >umbled up a bit.
-.ample 'a0
A0 7Aave you written that reportI7 (Adult to Adult)
,0 7<ill you stop hassling meI I*ll do it eventuallyK7 (Child to ,arent)
This is a crossed transaction li+ely to produce problems in the
wor+place. A may respond with a ,arent to Child transaction. ;or
instance0
A0 7If you don*t change your attitude, you*ll get fired.7
-.ample %a0
A0 7Is your room tidy yetI7 (,arent to Child)
,0 7I*m >ust going to do it, actually.7 (Adult to Adult)
This is a more positive crossed transaction. There is
however the ris+ that A will feel aggrieved that , is
acting responsibly and not playing their role, and the
conversation will develop into0
A0 7I can never trust you to do thingsK7 (,arent to Child)
,0 7<hy don*t you believe anything I sayI7 (Child to ,arent)
... which can continue indefinitely.