Course: Principles of Psychology

Course: PSY 201

Topic-19
Personality II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaxJEjMpGDs
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-transactional-analysis-and-the-idea-of-a-stroke-economy.html
https://www.slideshare.net/jalasayanan/transactional-analysis-12757931

Dr. Nafisa Huq

SPH,IUB
nafisahuqneela@gmail.com
Ego States
Parent Thoughts or feelings we pick up from parental figures
Ego
State
(taught behaviours)

Adult
Ego Respectful of others, we work on logic and evidence and
State
facts.(thoughtful behaviours)

Child
Ego About how we reacted as children-like being exited, being
State
fearful,shy.(felt behaviours)
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Parent Ego States
1.Controlling/critical parent:
a.Positive controlling parent-parental directives that promote
wellbeing for example ‘do not put your fingers in the socket’ ‘look
both ways before crossing a road’…
b.Negative controlling parent-parental directives that discounts the other
for example ‘you are too young to speak here’.
2.Nurturing parent:
a.Positive nurturing parent-parental directives of wanting to support.
b.Negative nurturing parent-parental directives of wanting to help in
places where there is no need/intrusiveness.

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Parent Ego state: examples
• “Never talk to strangers”
• “Always chew with your mouth closed”
• “Look both ways before you cross the street”
• “Don’t give your opinion in an adult conversation”

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 Adult Ego State
• Is about here and now-based on logic and experience and respect
towards others.
• Can evaluate feelings in both the parent and child ego state.

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Adult Ego states
• “It is not possible to be on time always”.

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Child Ego State
1.Adaptive child: ways of behaving that fit parents’ expectations,either by
obedience and submission, or in sulking and defiance.
a.Positive adaptive child: productive ways of behaving as a grown
up. e.g. ‘I will not bunk the class, my mother will not like it’
b.Negative adaptive child: replaying behaviours that are no longer
appropriate e.g. ‘What's wrong with you, why cant I bunk a class’
2.Free child: engaging in behaviours from childhood that paid no attention
to the rules of the parent/s.
a.Positive free child: express emotions in a safe way, there is openness,
spontaneity and boldness e.g. ‘Can I pleaseeeee play’
b.Negative free child: uncontrolled emotions e.g. ‘I am going to play’
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Child Ego state: examples
• “When I saw the monster’s face, I felt really scared”.
• “The clown at the birthday party was really funny!”
• “Can I please be selected”

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Class work
1.Cant you turn in a report on time just once?
2.Let me clean that table for you while you shower
3.Aha!,so what are the alternatives?
4. As you say sir
5.Sorry,I will try to improve
6.Let us stop here today and go out

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Transactions
• Conversation/communication between two individuals:
 Complementary transaction
 Crossed transactions
 Ulterior Transactions

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Transactions- Complementary Transaction:

Complementary transaction occurs when message from one ego state

gets a predicted response from the ego state being addressed. This type
of conversation can go on if both party stay in respective ego states.
BUT, if Ridy thinks she cannot put up with such irresponsibility or
Hasan thinks he has had enough of commands-then the transaction can
change.
P
P
Ridy
How many time have I
told you not to do this?
I am sorry. I will not do
A this again.
A

C
C Hasan

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Transactions- Complementary (adult) Transaction:

This type of conversation too can go on for long.

P Did you buy this from P

this same store again?
Oh no! Did I?I have to
A A be careful next time.
Ridy Hasan

C C

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Transactions- Crossed Transaction:

This type of conversation will not go on for long. Crossed transaction

occurs when message from one ego state gets an unpredicted response
from the ego state being addressed.
Who are you to tell me
P P what I should do or
How many time have I
Ridy Hasan not do?
told you not to do this?

A A

C C

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Transactions- Ulterior Transaction:

This type of conversation too cannot go on for long.

Ulterior transactions can be described as mixed messages.
In ulterior transactions, two messages are conveyed at the same time.
One is an overt social level message (what is said), and a covert &
psychological level message (what is not said).
Several ego-states are involved :
Most often the social level content is ADULT to ADULT and
The psychological level content is PARENT to CHILD or CHILD to
PARENT

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 Transactions- Ulterior Transaction:

Hidden meaning
Can you please
show me that dress?

P P
Ridy It is Tk 50,000.

A A
Ridy Hasan This green one?

C C

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Strokes
• According to Berne, human beings have two kinds of hunger,
physiological and psychological.
Physiological Hunger: Food, water, sex..
Psychological Hunger: An infant needs cuddling, an adult craves a
smile, a hand gesture, or other form of recognition.

• A stroke is a unit of recognition, when a person recognizes

another person either verbally or non verbally.

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Types of Strokes
 Any transaction is an exchange of strokes.
 Positives strokes make us feel OK about others and
ourselves.
 Negative strokes make us feel not OK about ourselves, others
or both.

Any stroke is better that no stroke.

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Types of Strokes
Verbal or non-verbal:
• Positive: ‘I like you’
• Negative: ‘I hate you’
• Conditional : strokes for something the person does (‘your
final report is really good’,‘the report you wrote need to be
revised significantly’).
• Unconditional: strokes for what the person is (‘this painting
of yours is really good’, ‘you are not so good at stitching’).

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Life Position
• Depending on the experiences and messages a child encounters ,
they take one of four positions in life.
• Life positions are psychological senses regarding self, others and
life.
• These determine the persons attitudes and perceptions.
I am Ok, you are Ok: All are born in this position. These people are
realistic, not threatened of their short coming. They move ahead even
under adverse conditions.
I am Ok, you are not Ok: These people feel they are victims of
circumstances, predominant feelings of anger. They are blamers.
They may have been stroked only conditionally.
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Life Position
• I am not Ok, you are Ok: People in this position feel
inferior, powerless when they compare themselves with
others. They are shy and withdrawn and are often pessimistic.
Predominant feeling is sadness.
• I am not Ok, you are not Ok: People in this position loose
interest in living. Their parents were probably never please
with them for anything.

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