Transactional Analysi

Transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis is a social psychology developed by

Eric Berne, MD (d.1970). Over the past four decades Eric
Berne's theory has evolved to include applications to
psychotherapy, counseling, education, and organizational
development. (Also see Key Ideas in Transactional Analysis.)
Organizational
Transactional Analysis is a powerful tool in the hands of organizational

development specialists. Through presenting the basic concepts of
transactional analysis and using it as the basic theory to undergird the
objectives of their clients, organizational development specialists build a
common strategy with which to address the particular needs of organizations
and to build a functional relationship, as well as eliminate dysfunctional
organizational behaviors.
People spend a large portion of time in organizations interacting with

others. They provide the connective tissues that help to hold together the
subparts of the organization. While there are exceptions, in general, these are
pair relationships which the people conduct themselves, this is, they are two
person contacts. The dyadic relationship involves the social transactions
between them and the transactional analysis is an attempt to understand and
improve such transactions.
Transactional Analysis (TA) offers a model of personality and the

dynamics of self and its relationship to others that makes possible a clear and
meaningful discussion of behavior. Ta refers to a method of analyzing and
understanding interpersonal behavior. When people interact, there is social
transaction in which one person responds to another. The study of these
transactions between people is called Transactional Analysis. TA was
originally developed by Eric Berne for psychotherapy I 1950. He observed in
his patients that often it was as if several different people were inside each
person. He also observed that these various ‘selves’ transmitted with people
in different ways. Later on, its application to ordinary interactions was
popularized by Berne, Harris, and Jong Ward. TA involves analysis of
awareness, structural analysis (ego states), and analysis of transactions, script
analysis and games analysis.
Transactional analysis, commonly known as 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 developed by Canadian-born US
psychiatrist, Eric Berne, during the late 1950s.
TA outline
According to the International Transactional Analysis Association, TA 'is a
theory of personality and a systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and
personal change'.
1. As a theory of personality, TA describes how people are structured

psychologically. It uses what is perhaps its best known model, the ego-
state (Parent-Adult-Child) model, to do this. This same model helps
explain how people function and express their personality in their
behavior
2. It is a theory of communication that can be extended to the analysis of
systems and organizations.
3. It offers a theory for child development by explaining how our adult
patterns of life originated in childhood. This explanation is based on the
idea of a "Life (or Childhood) Script": 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.
4. 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.
5. Outside the therapeutic field, it has been used in education to help
teachers remain in clear communication at an appropriate level, in
counseling and consultancy, in management and communications
training and by other bodies.
Key ideas of TA
Some core models and concepts are part of TA as follows:--
The Ego-State (or Parent-Adult-Child, PAC) model
At any given time, a person experiences and manifests their personality

through a mixture of behaviors, thoughts and feelings. Typically, according to
TA, there are three ego-states that people consistently use:
 Parent ("exteropsyche"): a state in which people behave, feel, and

think in response to an unconscious mimicking of how their parents (or
other parental figures) acted, or how they interpreted their parent's
actions. For example, 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 worked.
 Adult ("neopsyche"): a state of the ego which is most like a computer
processing information and making predictions absent of major
emotions that could affect its operation. Learning to strengthen the
Adult is a goal of TA. While a person is in the Adult ego state, he/she is
directed towards an objective appraisal of reality.
 Child ("archaeopsyche"): a state in which people behave, feel and
think similarly to how they did in childhood. For example, a person who
receives a poor evaluation at work may respond by looking 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 joyful gesture of thanks. The Child is the source of
emotions, creation, recreation, spontaneity and intimacy.
Kinds of transactions
There are basically three kinds of transactions:
1. Reciprocal/Complementary (the simplest)

2. Crossed
3. Duplex/Covert (the most complex)
Reciprocal or Complementary transactions
A simple, reciprocal transaction occurs when both partners are addressing the
ego state the other is in. These are also called complementary transactions.
Communication like this can continue indefinitely.
Crossed transactions
Communication failures are typically caused by a 'crossed transaction' where

partners address ego states other than that their partner is in. Consider the
above examples jumbled up a bit.
Duplex or Covert transactions
Another class of transaction is the 'duplex' or 'covert' transactions, where the

explicit social conversation occurs in parallel with an implicit psychological
transaction. For instance:
A: "I need you to stay late at the office with me." (Adult
words), body language indicates sexual intent (flirtatious
Child)
B: "Of course." (Adult response to Adult statement),
winking or grinning (Child accepts the hidden motive).

Transactional Analysi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Transactional Analysi

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Transactional Analysi

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Transactional Analysis

Transactional analysis is a social psychology developed by

Transactional Analysis is a powerful tool in the hands of organizational

People spend a large portion of time in organizations interacting with

Transactional Analysis (TA) offers a model of personality and the

Transactional analysis, commonly known as TA to its adherents, is an

1. As a theory of personality, TA describes how people are structured

The Ego-State (or Parent-Adult-Child, PAC) model

At any given time, a person experiences and manifests their personality

 Parent ("exteropsyche"): a state in which people behave, feel, and

There are basically three kinds of transactions:

1. Reciprocal/Complementary (the simplest)

Communication failures are typically caused by a 'crossed transaction' where

Duplex or Covert transactions

Another class of transaction is the 'duplex' or 'covert' transactions, where the

You might also like