Transactional analysis

Anuttama Banerjee

WHAT IS TRANSACTION

• 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

• 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

3 EGO STATES

• Each person is made up of 3 ego states (Parent, Child and Adult)

• Chronological conditions are irrelevant to these ego states.

• We shift from one ego state to another in transactions.

Parent Ego states•Internalized voice of command and

authority•Parent is our 'Taught' concept of life•Typically embodied by phrases and

attitudes starting with 'how to', 'under no circumstances', 'always' and 'never forget', 'don't lie, cheat, steal', etc

•Parent is now commonly represented as a circle with four quadrants:

Child Ego State

• The immature self governed by emotions and lack of logic

• Expressions like I don't care, oh no, not again, things never go right for me, worst day of my life, many superlatives etc are the examples of child ego states

• Child is our 'Felt' concept of life• Child is now commonly represented as circle

with four quadrants:

Adult Ego State• 'Adult‘ state is our ability to think and determine

action for ourselves, based on received data• It is our 'Thought' concept of life• Expressions like I think, I realize, I see, I

believe, in my opinion, why, can you please explain etc are found in adult state

• There is no general rule as to the effectiveness of any ego state in any given situation (some people get results by being dictatorial (Parent to Child), or by having temper tantrums, (Child to Parent), but for a balanced approach to life, Adult to Adult is generally recommended

Examples of some transactions

•Parent: Now, don't you DARE get•yourself all messy!•Child: WOW! Look how tall my castle• is!!!!!•Adult: This sand looks really interesting. I•can make a castle.

Transactions• Transactions: Among P, A and C• P < -- > P• A < -- > A• C < -- > C• There are 9 possible transactions• Transactional Analysts are trained to recognize

what ego states people are transacting from, and to follow, in precise detail, the transactional sequences that people engage in as they interact with each other

9

Types of Interpersonal Transactions

P P

A

CC

A

P P

A

CC

A

P P

A

CC

A

P P

A

CC

A

P P

A

CC

A

P P

A

CC

A

COMPLEMENTARY CROSSED ULTERIOR

EXPECTED RESPONSE, NO

CONFLICT

PRODUCE CONFLICT, STOP COMMUNICATION, HURT

FEELINGS

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

NON-VERBAL HIDDEN MEANING

Example of some transactions•Adult: “Will you tell me what time it is?”•Adult: “Yes, it is four o’clock. (Complementary)

•Adult: “Can you tell me what time it is?”•Parent: “You’re always late, anyway, why would

you even care?” (Crossed)

Strokes

•Eric Berne defined a stroke as a “unit of human recognition”

•A stroke can be a look, a nod, a smile, a spoken word, a touch

•Strokes can be positive or negative. Most of us like positive strokes better than negative ones

•Strokes can be both conditional and unconditional

•Strokes finally determine the positions we take in life

12

StrokingThe Types of Strokes You Seek Depend on Your Okayness

PRAISE

COMPLEMENTS

RECOGNITION

AFFECTION

REWARDS

SYMPATHY

CONSOLATION

SELF-SATISFACTION

FROM JOB WELL DONE

PUT-DOWN

CRITICISM

DEGRADING

RIDICULE

SCOLDING

PUNISHMENT

DISCOUNTING

POSITIVESTROKES

NEGATIVESTROKES

CONDITIONAL STROKES

STROKES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES

STROKES GIVEN FOR WHAT YOU DO, RATHER THAN FOR

WHAT YOU ARE:

(1) PERFORMANCE ORIENTED STROKE

(2) ACCOMODATION & CONFORMITY ORIENTED STROKES

What is life position?•It is based on the messages received and

the decisions made, a young child develops a basic life position.

•They are also called “existential positions” because they influence how we view our own and others existence

•Most babies are born in the position of feeling OK about themselves and OK about others. If things go well they will be able to maintain that position throughout their life

Concept of Life Positions

I am not OK, you are OK – Depressive

I am not OK , you are not OK – futility

I am OK, you are not OK- Paranoid

I am OK, you are OK - Healthy

I'm not OKYou're OK

C - P

I'm OKYou're OK

A - A

I'm not OKYou're not

OK C - C or P - P

or P - C or C - P

I'm OKYou're  not

OK Aggressive

Critical P - C

Game Analysis : results from assumed life position

• In the game of life people take 3 kinds of roles:• A) persecutor : cruel, imposes rules, get pleasure in

dominating• B) victim : provoke others to insult them, put them

down• C) rescuer: helps others to make them dependent on

them

• None of these categories are truly what they play, they assume role not out of realistic demand but out of the their need to enjoy certain social positions and to repeat their pattern

Concept of Games•Berne codified socially dysfunctional behavior

patterns in terms of the "games" that people play

•In order to obtain recognition and to secure one’s emotional security games are played

•The true intentions are hidden under cover

•Examples of a commonly used game

YDYB: Why Don't You / Yes But……

Script Analysis• It focuses on how children unconsciously choose a common

myth or story as the model for their future, then forget it, leaving the adult taking action based on a plan for life of which he/she is not consciously aware

• We may not realize that we have set ourselves a plan but we can often find this out if we ask ourselves what our favorite childhood story was, who was our favorite character in the story and who do we identify with

• For e.g. an employee always feels that she is helpless and going to be exploited by male colleagues because she has crafted this script within her and perceives self and others from that perspective

JOHARI WINDOW

What is Johari Window????

•The Johari Window is a communication model that can be used to improve understanding between individuals

•Developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham (the word “Johari” comes from Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham).

Two key ideas behind the tool:

•Individuals can build trust between themselves by disclosing information about themselves

•They can learn about themselves and come to terms with personal issues with the help of feedback from others

•Helps to develop healthy interpersonal relationship

Examples of 4 windows

•Examples of Arena : your name, things you write in blog

•Examples of Blind spot: Your own manners, other’s feelings about you

•Examples of Façade : Your secrets, your hopes etc

•Examples of unknown : unconscious motives, desires, conflicts

Benefits of TA•Helps in better understanding of self and others

•Improves communication at work and at family

•Reduces inter personal conflict