Transactional Analysis

Lecture notes on Transactional Analysis

D. Dutta Roy

Venue: Performing Arts Therapy Centre, Rabindra Bharati University

Eric Berne

In the 1950's Eric Berne began to develop his theories of Transactional Analysis. He said that verbal communication, particularly face to face, is at the centre of human social relationships and psychoanalysis. His starting-point was that when two people encounter each other, one of them will speak to the other. This he called the Transaction Stimulus. The reaction from the other person he called the Transaction Response. The person sending the Stimulus is called the Agent. The person who responds is called the Respondent. Transactional Analysis became the method of examining the transaction wherein: 'I do something to you, and you do something back'. TA concepts include three things:





EGO STATES

Berne also said that each person is made up of three alter ego states: Parent, Adult and Child. These terms have different definitions than in normal language.

Parent: This is our ingrained voice of authority, absorbed conditioning, learning and attitudes from when we were young. We were conditioned by our real parents, teachers, older people, next door neighbours, aunts and uncles, Father Christmas and Jack Frost. Our Parent is made up of a huge number of hidden and overt recorded playbacks. Typically embodied by phrases and attitudes starting with 'how to', 'under no circumstances', 'always' and 'never forget', 'don't lie, cheat, steal', etc, etc. Our parent is formed by external events and influences upon us as we grow through early childhood.
    Parent ego state is of two types: Nurturing and critical. Nurturing state of parent ego state is soft, loving, compassionate and permission giving. Critical state includes prejudiced thoughts.

Child:   Our internal reaction and feelings to external events form the 'Child'. This is the seeing, hearing, feeling, and emotional body of data within each of us. When anger or despair dominates reason, the Child is in control. Like our Parent we can change it, but it is no easier. Child ego state is of two types:
natural (free child) and adapted (rebellious) child.

Adult: It is the data processing center. It processes the data accurately.


TRANSACTIONS: There are two types of transactions - complimentary and crossed. Complimentary transactions In straight transactions, communication can continue indefinitely.


Complimentary transactions

But in crossed transaction, communication easily breaks down.

Crossed transaction



STROKES: When one recognizes other by talk, look, nod,smile. It is stroke. Stroke may be positive or negative.

               


LIFE SCRIPTS:

A life script is an unconscious life plan based on decisions made in early childhood about ourselves, others, and our lives.


Sources: Transactional analysis theory: the basics