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CHILD GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING
CONTENTS
38. Transactional Analysis
G. PADMA PRIYA
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1. Introduction
Transactional Analysis is both a theory of personality and an organized system interac-
tional therapy. It is grounded on the assumption that we make current decisions based on
our early experiences/. Early in life we may have felts powerless or even experienced our-
selves as struggling for survival. Decision made then about how to behave may not be valid,
useful or empowering today. The TA therapist focuses on helping clients rethink these early
decisions in light of present circumstances. TA emphasizes the cognitive and behavioral as-
pects of the therapeutic proven. Within TA there are three recognized schools – classical,
schiffian (or reparenting), and redecisional – and unofficial schools identified as self-repar-
enting and corrective parenting. TA provides an interactional and contractual approach. It is
interactional in that it emphasizes the dynamics of transactions between people and it is
contractual; in that remembers develop clear statements of what they will change and how
they will be different us a react of being in a group.
2. Objective:
Define terms specific to Transactional analysis.
Learn and apply principles, strategies of Transactional analysis. Increase Font Size
Discuss the goals of Transactional analysis therapeutic approaches.
To learn the language and concepts underlying Transactional analysis Learning
To analyze our relationships with one another in terms of TA.
3. History
Eric Berne (1910-1970), qualified as a psychotherapist, developed transactional analysis (TA)
theory in 1950. From 1955 to 1962 Berne’s discovered the ego states which were the initial
stage of development in transactional analysis. This discovery was based on neurological ex-
periments that suggested that different ego states are experienced by persons upon direct
stimulation of the brain. Berne recognized the importance of this discovery and identified
three distinct ego states – parents, Adult and child – which constitute a coherent system of
thinking, feeling and behaving.
From 1962 to 1966 Berne centered on games which were the second stage of the develop-
ment transactional analysis. Berne’s curiosity in communication theory led him to under-
stand that there are two types of messages i.e. psychosocial were generated from single
source of communication. As a result the idea of games discovered – a two level transactions
giving rise to expected payoff.
The dominant force in TA during the third developmental phase (1966 – 1970) was script
analysis. The concept of scripts emerged concurrently with Berne’s (1966) book on group
treatment. Methods for understanding and analyzing scripts were built up and used in the
treatment. Thus, transactional analysis began shifted from intellectual approach to proactive
approach which therapist use to change client scripts. In the 1970s, TA gained additional
prominence through such popular publications as Born to Win (James & Jongeward, 1971) and
What Do You Say After You Say Hello? (Berne, 1972), published two years after Berne’s death
in 1970.
The fourth influence on TA was the hybridization by the Gouldings (1978; 1979) of TA and
Gestalt into redecision therapy. Redecision therapy ferrets out the affect that links past to
present and allows the client to challenge his or her beliefs about the self in the past.
4. Overview of transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis does not try to ‘make’ the patient better, but to bring him into a po-
sition where he can exercise an Adult option to get better. We have observed several identi-
fying characteristics of transactional analysis. Among that, the first one is contractual- here
the therapeutic contracts are working with the clients for specified period. In the second
one, decision making and the responsibility of a therapist could be focused. In the third one,
clients can be assisted with their general or personal behaviour and feelings to get along
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with the existing world. Often, it is this decision process that is the essence FontIn
of TA. Size
the
third analysis, the practitioners share common vocabulary which is well defined and could
be understood by the clients with their known language. The knowledge and education of
the clients is important during the TA process.
The ego states and life scripts concepts of all TA therapists can be approached based on
the assumption “I’m OK-You’re OK”.
The therapeutic principles and theory of personality from transactional analysis are pro-
cessed by these four different types of methods, such as,
1.Transactions – what people say and do to one another.
2.Scripts – endless feedback loops of behavior generated in early childhood and continuing
to the present
3.Games and cons – transactions (often maladaptive) that are played with others and that
lead to payoffs (also often maladaptive)
4.Structures – the differential composition of ego states specific to each individual.
5. The Key concepts of Transaction analysis that a therapist will use in their work
Transaction analysis theorists understand personality development in terms of several key
concepts: ego states, strokes, injunctions, decisions, script formation, games, transactions,
and life positions. The basic personality premise of TA is that all of us are three people in one
– a child, an adult, and a parent.
5.1 The child Ego State
Every child has their ego states which consist of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
This constitutes the recording of child’s initial experiences and one own self concept. The
Child ego state can be categorized into two practical states – the Adapted Child and the Free
Child. The Free child is joyful, curious, playful and spontaneous whereas the individual who
stay in the stage of free child for long period may be considered irresponsible or out of con-
trol. However, Adapted Child ego state may be categorized as industrious, compromising, re-
bellious and compliant and they act as if parent or somebody may be observing or listening.
Throughout one’s life, the Child ego state is both an influence and a state of being that is
internally derived. It provides the “want to” of the personality and is the force that motivates
the individual.
5.2 The parent Ego State
In terms of function, the parent ego state may be categorized into the Critical Parent and
the Nurturing Parent. In most cases, someone functioning as a NurturingIncrease
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is caring
and protective may sometimes be overprotective. Critical Parent is prejudiced, oppressive,
controlling and intimidating.
Trusting neither self nor others, the Critical Parent calls on external authority to enforce
his or her demands.
In the Parent ego state is recorded a modeled and taught concept of life. This unerasable
concept is composed of events that actually happened in childhood. The problem is that the
individual internalizes this tape in a distorted fashion, recording both the distorted and the
objectives realities of what one’s parents were. Because the child is dependent on its parents,
it is unable to comprehend that they were not God, but human, and thus made mistakes. As a
result, that child grows to adulthood with a commingled but “ultimately right” Parent ego
state that is filled with demands, directions, and dogmatic decisions. The Parent ego state,
then, is the externally derived “have to” of the personality.
5.3 The adult Ego State
The Adult ego state is the umpire between the needs of the Child ego state and stress of
parent ego state. The Adult ego state is not only a functioning part of the personality but also
an observation state, and it is internally derived. One of its major functions is to update the
Parent ego state. Therefore, too much adult results in a technically rational but too little
adult results in an illogical and irrational individual.
5.4 Strokes
In TA theory, the need for strokes is considered the basic motivation for any human social
interaction and necessary to an individual’s healthy functioning. The most positive strokes
come from parents who unconditionally accept their children. Though children prefer posi-
tive strokes, negative strokes are much considered than no strokes at all. Adulthood is also
achieved from spouses, bosses, children, peers and achievements towards the good job.
When straightforward, direct strokes are not available, people may opt to play games and
rackets to obtain them. Eventually the stroke one gets or gives reinforce one’s life In sum-
mary, the stroke one receive s or gives to others reinforce script, life position, transactions,
games and ego functions.
5.5 Life Positions
Life position is a result of parental treatment during the early days of child. and is a major
component of an individual’s life script. There are four basic life positions an individual may
adopt.
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1.I’m OK – You’re OK. This is probably the position reflect how the child entered Fontworld.
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As long as the child’s emotional and physical needs are met in a loving, accepting way (given
“permissions”), the infant retains this position and maintains a “winner’s” script.
2.I’m Ok – You’re not OK. If a child is mistreated, he or she may decide others are not OK,
which is essentially a defense against a more basic feelings of being “not OK.” People in this
position often blame and distrust others and react to the world with frustration or anger
(sometimes called the “paranoid” position).
3. I’m not OK – You’re Ok. If the child’s needs are not met, the child may decide that it is
his or her fault for being “lacking” in some fundamental way. This is the most common posi-
tion and is sometimes called the “depressive” position. People who are frequently in this po-
sition commonly experience guilt, depression, inadequacy and fear.
4. I’m not OK – You’re mot OK. If stroking is lacking or extremely negative, the child may
decide, “’m not OK – You’re not OK.” Since there is no source of positive stroking, the infant
may give up and feel hopeless. Persons who adopt this position are more likely to end up in
mental institutions, jail, or the morgue.
5.6 Script Formation
During the early childhood days individual decision towards the life is scripted in brain
which is unerasable. Scripts have multiple components like parental injunctions, payoffs, life
positions, games and physiological attributed. Parents may send children two types of
messages that influence the formation of their life position: permissions and scripts mes-
sages. Permissions – positive strokes given unconditionally – are growth-promoting mes-
sages. In contrast, negative are, growth-restricting, and destructive injunctions.
After the child incorporates early messages from the parents, a script develops into a
strong belief system, which is staunchly defended as an adult. Negative, long-term, global in-
junctions and attributions do little for the child’s physical and mental health.
5.7 Counterscripts
To complicate matters, the nurturing parent also contradictory “Do” message that may
have problematic consequences for the child called a counterscript, these parental messages
demand acquiescence to the social and cultural expectations of society. The Nurturing
Parent makes a positive verbal demand – “Be a caring person” – which is contradicted by
hypocritical action of the Critical Parent who says, “I won’t give any money to that charity;
they’re just a bunch of welfare parasites”. In other words, “Do as I say, not as I do!”
5.8 Transactions
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A transaction is the fundamental unit of behavior in transactional analysis theory. It is the
needed for communication between child, adult and parent ego states of two person which
determines if the communication stops or continues. It is “an exchange of strokes between
two people, consisting of a response and a stimulus between the ego states”. A conversation
involves a series of linked transactions. There are three kinds of transactions – complemen-
tary, crossed and ulterior. In complementary transaction the reply is between the same ego
states. Hence, it is also called as parallel transaction. A crossed transaction happens when
there is a crossed communication the receiver replies to the ego state different from one to
which the communication was aimed at. Whenever a crossed transaction occurs, a break-
down in communication is likely to follow. An ulterior transaction is one that contains two
levels of communication – a social level and a psychological level – and always involves more
than two ego states. The psychological message is the ulterior message; it is aimed at an ego
state different from the one the social message is aimed at.
5.9 Games
Games are repetitious, a recurring transactions, superficially reasonable, but with a hidden
drive. Games may be played at a variety of levels and intensities: some are socially accept-
able; in others feelings are hurt without any permanent damage; and still others are played
for keeps. Games are defense mechanisms as well as transactions, and everyone plays them
60 to 70 percent of the time. The general advantage of a game is that it is a stabilizing influ-
ence. Homeostasis is promoted by the stroking one receives, and psychological stability is
reinforced by the confirmation of ‘one’s situation ’.
5.10 Rackets
Desired negative feeling is associated with payoff that they use to confirm their life posi-
tion is termed a racket. This collection of bad feelings is usually learned from a parent figure
to whom the child ego state has become accustomed.
5.11 Drama Triangle
Drama triangle is an enclosed system with a persecutor (I am better that you; you are infe-
rior), a rescuer (I know more than you; you are inferior), and a victim (I am helpless) at its
corners. In terms of strokes, the persecutor discounts others with negative stokes, the res-
cuer discounts others with conditional positive strokes, and the victim discounts him-or
herself with negative strokes. An individual may move into a game or racket from any of the
three basic positions by exaggerating or devaluating the worth of himself or herself or the
other person”. Individuals switch positions as the game or racket progresses. When the other
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person refuses to continue to play, such individuals switch drama triangle positions andSize
play
games in order to continue receiving strokes.
Ultimately, therapists will use these concepts in transactional analysis therapy to promote
structural rearrangement and deconfusion of a client’s child ego-state. They will encourage
clients to challenge their current beliefs and the way he or she uses their life script. This will
help them to better understand the direction and patterns of their life for themselves, and
this awareness can help them to make the decision to change their behaviour.
6. Process of therapy
Settings for transactional analysis range from homelike surroundings to more business like
offices. Since body language clues are important in conducting transactional analysis, in
most therapists’ offices there are no tables or chairs that block therapist and client views of
one another. The majority of TA settings include whiteboards, black boards or giant paper
pads that both therapists and clients can use to illustrate transactions and games and other
relevant matters. Some therapists employ audiovisual aids to provide feedback and heighten
clients’ awareness.
In the initial session or sessions, therapists work in a number of ways. Therapists intro-
duce and use a simple common vocabulary. During therapy there is no gossiping or small
talk. Ground rules for the therapeutic contact are agreed, such as no violence or threats of
violence, and no use of alcohol or mind-altering drugs. Furthermore, an initial fee-for-ser-
vice business contract may be established. Therapists conduct an initial assessment of
clients and work with them to establish contract goals, including a time frame for ending
therapy.
6.1 Therapeutic Goals
Transactional analysis seeks to help clients obtain an ‘I am OK, you are OK’ life position.
For clients who have been turned by their life’s experiences from princes and princesses into
frogs, Berne saw four possible goals. Stewart views these goals as progressive stages in the
direction of cure.
1.Symptomatic control – though still feeling distress, clients can control their symptoms in
their interactions with others.
2.Symptomatic relief – getting better, or ‘progress’, which Berne regarded as making
clients into more comfortable frogs.
3.Transference cure – here clients can stay out of their scripts so long as they can keep
their therapists either literally or mentally around.
4.Autonomy – casting ‘off the frog skin and taking up once more the interrupted develop-
ment of the prince or princess’. The client’s Adult takes over the role of the therapist as the
client attains autonomy. Autonomy refers to the capacity for ‘non-script’ Increase
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‘with
particular time schedule, developed later in life, and not under parental influence’.
The attainment of autonomy involves the person’s regaining three basic capacities of the
fundamental OK position: awareness, spontaneity and intimacy.
Awareness – awareness means the capacity to see and hear directly and not in the way
in which one was brought up.
Spontaneity – spontaneity means the capacity to feel directly and to express feelings di-
rectly and not in the way in which one was brought up.
Intimacy – intimacy means the capacity to relate to another person or persons in an
aware, spontaneous, loving and game-free way.
6.2 The therapeutic relationship
Transactional analysts provide supportive and nurturing relationships conducive to clients
assuming greater personal responsibility for their lives. Transactional analysis, as originally
formulated by Berne, is largely an educational process and thus the therapist-client relation-
ship resembles a democratic teacher-learner relationship. Early on in therapy, therapist and
clients establish ground rules and define the elements of their working or learning contract.
Therapists train clients in the skills of analyzing ego states, transactions, games and scripts.
Furthermore therapists encourage and assist clients to identify Adult options for dealing
with people, problems and situations in their lives. As indicated earlier, more often than not
therapists’ offices contain educational aids like whiteboards and large writing pads.
6.3 Therapeutic Interventions
Berne regarded transactional analysis as an umbrella term for four different, but inter-re-
lated, approaches to treatment. These approaches are structural analysis, transactional
analysis, game analysis, and script analysis. There is a progression from structural analysis,
through transactional and game analysis, to script analysis, though he realized that the script
analysis state was not always attained.
6.3.1 Structural Analysis
As mentioned earlier, structural analysis consists of diagnosing and separating one feeling-
thinking-and-behaviour pattern or ego state from another. Structural analysis helps clients
to identify and become aware of both the existence and the contents of their ego states. Its
aim is to free people to have appropriate access to all their ego states without debilitating
exclusions and contaminations.
6.3.2 Transactional Analysis
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The aim of transactional analysis as social control or the ability of the Adult to decide
when to release the Parent or Child and when to resume the executive. If a person does not
have social control, others can consciously or unconsciously activate that person’s Parent or
Child ego states in ways may not be helpful. Clients are helped to understand the go state
transactions involved in situations and relationships in which they are experiencing difficulty
as a means towards greater competence in handling them.
6.3.3 Game Analysis
Game analysis is another way of attaining social control. Just as an understanding of struc-
tural analysis is a prerequisite of transactional analysis, so an understanding of analysis of
single transactions is a prerequisite of understanding the more complex series of transac-
tions called games. In game analysis the client is encouraged to learn more satisfying ways of
structuring time and acquiring strokes. The methods of game analysis include helping a
client to see what game he or she is playing, what the moves are, what the racket or bad feel-
ings payoffs are, and how the games justify a life position. It is also important to help the
client to express constructively the natural child need or feeling which he or she has been
discounting.
6.3.4 Script Analysis
The script analysis must take care not to behave in ways promote a client’s script. The
purpose of script analysis is to help clients to get out of their script and thus to behave au-
tonomously. The therapist needs to listen carefully to an observe the client’s verbal and non-
verbal behavior for script signs or signals. Additionally, script analysis may involve the use of
a script checklist to help both analyst and client to know the client’s script (Berne, 1972).
Script analysis aims to help clients to abandon their early decision, previously made in differ-
ent circumstances and with an incomplete neopsychic or Adult apparatus, by now making
and enacting re-decisions for change.
7. Conclusion
Hope this module gave an insight into the principles and strategies of Transactional Analysis,
strategies of learning theory, and the application of these principles and strategies in assist-
ing clients to replace negative behaviours with more acceptable behaviour. Transactional
Analysis has wide applications in clinical, therapeutic, organizational and personal develop-
ment, encompassing communications, management, personality, relationships and behav-
iour. Whether you’re in business, a parent, a social worker or interested in personal develop-
ment, Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis theories, and those of his followers, will enrich
your dealings with people, and your understanding of yourself.
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you can view video on Transactional Analysis
Web links
http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/transactional-analysis.html
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/transactional-analysis
Child guidance and counselling Copyright © by G. Padma Priya. All Rights Reserved.
