TRANSACTIONAL
ANALYSIS
A BRIEF OVERVIEW
Transactional Analysis
• Eric Berne was born in 1910 in Montreal,
Canada. His father was a doctor & his mother
was an editor.
• His father died at age 38, when Eric was 9
• Earned an MD in 1935 from McGill Univ.
• Became a US citizen and served in Utah during
WWII, practicing group therapy
Transactional Analysis
Four methods of understanding & predicting human
behavior
• Structural analysis – within the person
• Transactional analysis – 2 or more people
• Game analysis – understanding transactions that
lead to reduce bad feelings
• Script analysis – understand a person’s life plan
Transactional Basis
• Id – Pleasure Principle
• Ego- Realistic Principle
• Super Ego- Ethical Principle
Focuses on the individual but also
one’s relationship to others
A model for explaining why and how:
People think like they do
People act like they do
People interact/communicate with
others like they do
EACH OF US IS REALLY
THREE PEOPLE!!!!
Types of Ego States
Ego state involve thinking as well as feeling and
behaviour
People have three ego states:
Parent:
Child:
Adult:
Biological conditions are irrelevant to these ego
states.
• We shift from one ego state to another in
transactions.
7
Parent Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral patterns based
on messages or lessons learned from parents and other
‘parental’ or authoritarian sources
• Should and should not; always and never
• Prejudicial views on things such as:
religion dress
traditions work
money companies
Parent
Critical parent
Nurturing parent
• Critical views (fault finding, judgmental, condescending
views)
• Nurturing views (sympathetic, caring views)
Adult Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral
patterns based on objective analysis of
information (data, facts)
• Make decisions based on logic,
computations, probabilities, etc. (not
emotion)
• Adult- current self
Child Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral
patterns based on child-like emotions,
impulses, feelings we have experienced
• Child-like examples
Impulsive Happy Curious
Self-centered Pleasure seeking Eager to please
Angry Rebellious
Fearful Happy
Child
Natural child (affectionate playful)
Adapted child
Types of Parental & Child Ego State
Nurturing Controlling
Parent Ego State NP Parents
CP
Parents
Adult Ego State A
Child Ego State NC AC
Natural Adapted
Child Child 11
Transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis - Transactions between
people are seen as having 3 levels:
• Complementary – both people are operating
from the same ego state
• Crossed – the other person reacts from an
unexpected ego state
• Ulterior – two ego states within the same
person but one disguises the other
Types of Transactions
• A transaction = any interaction or communication
between 2 people
• People send and receive messages out of and into their
different ego states
• How people say something (what others hear?) just as
important as what is said
• Types of communication, interactions
1) Complementary
2) Crossed
3) Ulterior
Complementary ‘Transactions’
• Complementary – both people are operating from the
same ego state
• Interactions, responses, actions regarded as appropriate
and expected from another person.
• Parallel communication arrows, communication
continues.
Example 1:#1-What time do you have?
#2-I’ve got 11:15.
P P
A A
C C
Complementary ‘Transactions’
(cont.)
Example 2:
P P #1 You’re late again!
#2 I’m sorry. It won’t
A A
happen again.
C C
Crossed ‘Transactions’
• Crossed – the other person reacts from an unexpected ego
state
• Interactions, responses, actions NOT regarded as
appropriate or expected from another person.
• Crossed communication arrows, communication breakdown.
Example 1-#1What time do you have?
P P
#2-There’s a clock on the wall, why don’t
A
you figure it out yourself?
A
C C
Crossed ‘Transactions’ cont’d
Example 2 #1 You’re late again!
#2 Yeah, I know, I had a flat tire.
P P
A A
C C
Ulterior ‘Transactions’
• Ulterior – two ego states within the same person
but one disguises the other
• Interactions, responses, actions which are
different from those explicitly stated
Example #1- How about coming up to my room and
listening to some music?
P P
A A
C C
STROKES
• The recognition that one person gives to
another
• Essential to a person's life
• Can vary from actual physical touch to
praise
MOST OF US SUFFER FROM
STROKE HUNGER!!!!!!
• Positive Strokes- “I love you”, “ you did a
good job”
• Negative Strokes- “I hate you”
• When positive strokes are not given, we
look for negative strokes rather than be
without strokes at all!!
• It makes life easier.
There are six ways people
can structure their time to get
strokes:
WITHDRAWAL
RITUALS
PASTIMES
GAMES
INTIMACY
WORK
WITHDRAWAL
• Here two people do not overtly communicate
with one another
RITUAL
• A pre-set exchange of recognition
strokes.
• "Hi!"
“How are you?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Well, see you around. Bye!"
PASTIME
• A pre-set conversation around a certain
subject.
• Pastimes are most evident at cocktail
parties and family get-together.
GAMES
• Repetitive, devious series of transactions
intended to get strokes.
• Unfortunately, the strokes obtained in
games are mostly negative.
WORK
• An activity which has a product as its
result.
• Good or bad work results in the
exchange of strokes.
Intimacy
• A direct and powerful exchange of
strokes which people crave but seldom
attain
• The Child is frightened away from it by
hurtful experiences.
Life Position
• Four basic life position:
• I’m OK, you’re not OK – get away from me
• I’m not OK, you’re OK – I’ll never get anywhere
• I’m not OK, you’re not OK – get rid of each other
• I’m OK, you’re OK – ideal
THANKS
dr. Mukesh kumar Panth
assistant Professor of Psychology
Department Of Psychology
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith
Varanasi
Mob. No.- 09453904523
