Transactional Analysis

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Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis theories enrich our understanding of ourselves and our dealings with people. They start from the position that verbal communication is at the centre of human social relationships and psychoanalysis.

It is transactional because when you speak to me (agent) it’s very likely that I will respond to you (respondent). Transactional Analysis is a way of examining the transaction that takes place when this happens.

Explanation

People are made up of 3 ego states:

Parent

The voice of ingrained authority, absorbed conditioning, learning and attitudes from our childhood. Conditioned by our parents, teachers, neighbours, relatives, Father Christmas and Jack Frost. “Parent” mode is made up of an enormous number of hidden recordings and playbacks. Often we see evidence of these attitudes when words like “always", "never", "under no circumstances", "how to” are used. The parent state is formed by external events and influences in early childhood. It can be changed, but not easily.

Diagram showing 'Parent' and 'Child' concepts with related attributes. 'Parent' has attributes: Nurturing, Critical, Spoiling, Structuring. 'Child' has attributes: Spontaneous, Co-operative, Immature, Compliant/resistant.
Diagram showing Transactional Analysis with three ego states: Parent, Adult, Child. Parent Ego State includes behaviors copied from parents, Adult Ego State includes responses to the present, and Child Ego State includes behaviors from childhood.
Two people sitting on grass under a tree in a park setting

Figure 1- Teachers conversing in adult:adult mode

Child

Our internal reaction and feelings to external events. Seeing, hearing, feeling and emotional data are noticeable in the child state. When anger or despair dominates reason, the child is in control. Like the parent state, it can be changed, but not easily.

Adult

The ability to think and determine action for ourselves, based on received data. The adult begins to form at around 10 months old and is the means by which we keep our parent and child states under control. To change our parent or child, we must do so through the adult state.

There is no general rule as to what is most effective in any given situation (some people get results by being dictatorial (Parent mode) or having temper tantrums (Child) but for a balanced approach to life, Adult to Adult is generally recommended.

Remember not all transaction is verbal, for communication of feelings and attitudes

  • 7% of the meaning in words is spoken

  • 38% is paralinguistic (the way words are said)

  • 55% is facial expression (Mehrabin)

Group of people smiling and holding glasses, viewed from below, against a white sky background.

Figure 2- Schoolgenie headteacher cohort celebration

Parent

Behaviours, thoughts and feelings copied from parents or parent figures

Adult

Behaviours, thoughts and feelings which are direct responses to the here and now

Child

Behaviours, thoughts and feelings replayed from childhood

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