Transactional Analysis as "a theory of personality and social action, and a clinical method of

psychotherapy, based on the analysis of all possible transactions between two or more people, on
the basis of specifically defined ego states into a finite number of established types." (Eric Berne,
1975, "What Do You Say After You Say Hello", London, Corgi.)

Berne proposed that anything that happens between two or more people could be broken down into
a series of single transactions from a specific ego states. A 'transaction' consisting of a singular
stimulus and a single response, verbal or nonverbal from one person to another. It is called a
'transaction' because each party gains something by it and that is why s/he engages in it.

Transactional Analysis is, as its names states, an analysis of these transactions.

"Any system or approach" Berne asserted, "which is not based on the rigorous analysis of single
transactions into their component specific ego states is not transactional analysis

Transactions

A transaction can be described as a transactional stimulus plus a transactional response, this being
the basic unit of social discourse.

(The use of the words 'stimulus' and 'response' is assuming something from the models point of
view. It could be argued that a transaction could be a stimulus + stimulus:

      'How are you?'

        'How are you, did you get the job?'

Or response + response:

      'I feel like rubbish today'

        'I wish I had another day off'

T.A. defines three types of transaction.

A Complementary transaction in which the ego state addressed is the ego state that responds. Using
the ego state functional model, with arrows or 'vectors' to show the direction of each transaction,
the vectors will be parallel:
        'What time is it?'
        'Three o'clock.'

A Crossed transaction is one in which the transactional vectors are not parallel. The ego-state being
adressed is not the ego-states that responds.

        'Could you pass the salt '?

        'You should have realised you wanted the salt before you sat down, get it yourself'

In an Ulterior transaction two messages are conveyed at the same time. One of these is an overt or
social-level message, the other a covert or psychological-level message.
        'Where are my socks?' (You are not a good enough wife.)
        'In the drawer' (You are always telling me off)

The Relationship Between Stimulus Hunger, Recognition Hunger and Strokes

When a baby is born its primary hunger is not food but the need for the touch of another human
being, the need for physical and mental stimulation.

Rene Spitz investigated this need by observing babies reared in children's homes.

Even though well fed, warm and clean they were more likely to experience physical as well as
emotional difficulties than children reared by their Mothers.

Spitz research demonstrated that sensory deprivation in the infant might result not only in psychic
changes, but also in organic deterioration. It shows how vital the touching, hugging and 'stroking' is
that babies normally get from their care providers.

This social handling and physical intimacy Berne called a 'unit of recognition' or a 'stroke'.

He classified our need for 'strokes' under the banner of 'the Four Hungers':

Stimulus hunger
Recognition hunger
Structure hunger
Position hunger

We are born with stimulus hunger , the need for physical and mental stimulus and, under ordinary
conditions, have an ample supply available. As we grow and are weaned away from our Mother's
breast we learn to substitute other forms of recognition in place of our mothers physical touching.

We learn to compromise, we learn to gain strokes from more subtle sources.

Recognition hunger, the need for acknowledgement by others, is a first level of sublimation of the
more 'primeval' stimulus hunger . A smile, a compliment, or even an affront, all show us that our
existence has been recognised and so feed this hunger.

These strokes that satisfy our hungers are universally deemed as being so important to our well
being that it is considered rude or even antagonistic to omit to offer them when in a social position
to do so.

As we further 'mature' we add on structure hunger and position hunger .