Transactional Analysis (TA)

• Concept given by Eric Berne

• People spend a large portion of their time interacting
• D di relationships
Dyadic l ti hi are the th centre
t off organizational
i ti l functioning
f ti i
• TA is an attempt to understand and improve such transactions
• TA offers a model of personality and the dynamics of self and
its relationship to others
• When people interact, there is a social transaction in which one
person responds to another
• Berne concluded that there are various ‘selves’ inside one person
and these selves affected their interaction with others.
others
• TA involves analysis of awareness, structural analysis (ego
states), analysis of transactions, script analysis and games
analysis.
 Transactional Analysis
Methods of understanding & predicting human behavior
• Awareness analysis – Within the person
• Structural
St t l analysis
l i – within
ithi the
th person
• Transactional analysis – 2 or more people
• Script analysis – understand a person
person’ss life plan
 Transactional Analysis
Awareness analysis – Within the person
¾ The dyadic relationship can be thought of as composed as
interself Understanding of self is very important.
interself. important
¾ Johari window is such a model for self awareness.
¾ Thee Jo
Johari
a w window
dow pprovides
ov des a framework
a ewo for o assess
assessing
g how
ow
we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us and helps us
in correcting those perceptions.
¾ A change
h i one quadrant
in d off the
h Johari
J h i window
i d affects
ff all
ll
quadrants
¾ By changing these quadrants, one can improve one one’ss self
self-
awareness and perception and thereby improve dyadic
relationships.
¾ In addition
ddi i to one’s image,
i there
h i a structure associated
is i d withih
the self/personality- explained by ego states
 Transactional Analysis
Structural Analysis
y ((Egog States): ) People
p interact with each other in
terms of 3 psychological positions or behavioural patterns, known
as ego states. Ego states are a person’s way of feeling, thinking and
behaving at any time.
time There are 3 ego states and an effective
person is able to move from one ego state to another.
Parent- this ego state involves the attitudes and behaviours of all
emotionally significant people who serve parent figure when an
individual was a child. Characteristics may include being
overprotective dogmatic and upright.
overprotective, upright We may start behaving like
our parents do using phrases like “Do as I do” “Don’t do this” etc.
• Nurturing parent - nurturing and caring behaviour towards others-
comforts, praises and helps others
• Critical parent – critical or evaluative behaviour- finds faults,
displays prejudices,
prejudices disapproves and points out shortcomings
 Transactional Analysis
Adult- this ego
g state involves reasoning, g, seekingg and pprovidingg
information, being rational and logical. It is characterised by
thoughtful and factual discussion. This ego state is formed by one’s
own education and experience.
experience Other people are viewed as worthy
and responsible. One uses phrases like “let us discuss”, “ I can
understand”
Child- this ego state involves creativity, depression, anxiety, fear,
dependence. It is characterised by attention-seeking behaviours,
coyness or temper swings
swings- many a times nonnon-logical
logical and impulsive
actions. Uses phrases like “I don’t know” “this is my way”
• Natural child – spontaneous, impulsive, feeling oriented, self-
centered & pleasure loving
• Adaptive child – compliant, conforms to the wishes & demands of
parental figures
• Rebellious child – easily angered, fearful and frustrated
 Transactional Analysis
• A major goal is to figure out which ego state a person is using
• Each person may respond to specific situations in distinct ways
• Sometimes
S ti these
th ego states
t t harmonize,
h i sometimes
ti they
th are in
i
conflict.
• So
Somee people
peop e respond
espo d more
o e from
o oonee ego state tthan
a other
ot e states
• Which ego state one responds from reflects one’s personality and
style of transaction
 Transactional Analysis
Life Script: People respond to situations based on their life positions
A person’s life is like a play and the script is text of that play-it is a
life plan according to which we live
A person’ bahaviour is programmed by the script/experiences that
emerge out of his life experience.
• A negative life script occurs when the person receives lots of
injunctions by the parents that used the word DON’T
• A positive
i i life
lif script
i occurs whenh a person has h freedom
f d andd
autonomy from parents by using phrases like “you can do it”
This life position affects how people interact with each other
Analysis of life scripts is an important part of TA.
 Transactional Analysis
Four basic life scripts or life positions
• I’m OK, you’re OK – ideal position: This is a rationally chosen life
position. It occurs after an individual has had positive experiences in life.
People
p with such ppositions can solve their pproblems easily.
y Such managersg
are more effective. They share good relations with others.
• I’m OK, you’re not OK – get away from me: This position is taken when
people are victimized or ignored as children. They blame others. Such
managers are likely to give critical remarks- pointing out flaws. They don’t
trust others.
• II’m
m not OK,
OK youyou’rere OK – II’ll
ll never get anywhere: This position is taken
by people who feel powerless. It results out of childhood failures and low
self-esteem. These managers have ill feelings against others-are
unpredictable and erratic
• I’m not OK, you’re not OK – get rid of each other: This position is the
most extreme and desperate-it is taken by others who lose interest in living.
They have suicidal tendencies or harm others. others As managers they are
incompetent, make mistakes, take wrong decisions and are useless.
 Transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis - Transactions between people are seen as
having 3 levels:
• Complementary – both people are operating from the same ego
state
t t or stimulus
ti l andd response patterns
tt f
from one ego state
t t to
t
another are complementary. There are 9 such transactions
P < -- > P
P < -- > A
P < -- > C
A < -- > A
A < -- > P
A < -- > C
C < -- > C
C < -- > A
C < -- > P
 Transactional Analysis
• Crossed/Non
Crossed/Non-complementary
complementary – the other person reacts from an
unexpected ego state
A < - - > A/ C < - - > P
This blocks further transaction

• Ulterior – two
t o ego states within
ithin the same person but
b t one disguises
disg ises
the other. The communication has double meaning but disguised
in a socially acceptable way. This transaction is ineffective and
undesirable.
d i bl
 Transactional Analysis
Uses of TA
Develop Positive Thinking: By understanding one’s transaction
styles and ego states, one can develop a positive attitude
Interpersonal effectiveness: TA can help in improving
communication abilities
Motivation through g Stroking: g It is defined as an act implying
py g
recognition of another’s presence. People need recognition in
interaction. Lack of stroking has a negative consequence on a
person’ss well
person well-being.
being. A person
person’ss personality is a result of
stroking that he gets as a child.
Strokes can be positive (recognition, appreciation, pat on the
back) or negative (scolding,
(scolding criticizing,
criticizing mocking).
mocking) Positive
strokes lead to I’m OK position, negative lead to I’m not OK.
Organizational Development: TA is used as an intervention to
i
improve i t
interpersonall styles
t l ini organization
i ti andd thereby
th b make
k the
th
organization more effective