1. Transactions

2. Prepared By
Manu Melwin Joy
Research Scholar
School of Management Studies
CUSAT, Kerala, India.
Phone – 9744551114
Mail – manu_melwinjoy@yahoo.com
Kindly restrict the use of slides for personal purpose.
Please seek permission to reproduce the same in public
forms and presentations.

3. Content – Part 1
• Definition.
• Transactional Analysis Proper.
• Adult-Adult transactions.
• Parent-Child transactions.
• Structural diagram.
• Complementary transactions.
• Crossed transactions.
• Ulterior transactions.
– Duplex transactions.
– Angular transactions.

4. Content – Part 1
• 4 rules of communication.
• Mehrabian’s theory of communication.
• Internal transactions.
• Bulls – Eye transactions.
• Caroms transactions.
• Diluted transactions.
• Weak transactions.
• Gallows transactions.
• Healthy transactions.
• Options.

5. Definition
Berne referred to transaction as the basic
unit of social discourse.
• The opening communication is called
stimulus.
• The reply is called response.
• Transaction is a transactional stimulus
plus a transactional response.
• In the analysis of transactions, we use
ego state models to help explain what
goes on during this process of
communication.

6. Transactional Analysis Proper
• Transactional Analysis
Proper is the analysis of
ego states or self sorters
in communication
between people.
• It includes both verbal
and non verbal, physical
and symbolical, genuine
and counterfeit
interactions.

7. Adult-Adult transactions
• According to Dr. Berne, the simplest
transactions are between Adults
ego states.
• For example, a surgeon will survey
the patient, and based upon the
data before him/her, his/her Adult
decides that the scalpel is the next
instrument required.
• The surgeon’s Adult holds out
his/her hand, providing the
transactional stimulus to the nurse.
• The nurse’s Adult looks at the hand,
and based upon previous
experiences, concludes that the
scalpel is needed. The nurse then
places the scalpel in the surgeon’s
hand.

8. Parent – Child transactions
• Quoting Dr. Berne in Games People
Play:
• ”The fevered child asks for a glass of
water, and the nurturing mother brings
it.”
• In this, the Child of a small child directs
an inquiry to the Parent of his/her
mother. The Parent of the mother
acknowledges this stimuli, and then
gives the water to the child.
• In this example, the small child’s
request is the stimuli, and the parent
providing the water is the
response. This is nearly as simple as an
Adult-Adult transaction.

9. Structural diagram
• One of the tools used by a
Transactional Analysis practitioner is
a structural diagram. A structural
diagram represents the complete
personality of any individual.
• Transactional Analysts will then
construct a diagram showing the
ego states involved in a particular
transaction.
• The transaction to the right shows a
Parent – Child transaction, with the
Child ego state providing the
transactional stimulus, and the
Adult responding with the
transactional response.

10. Complementary transactions
Complementary transaction is the one in which the
transactional vectors are parallel and the ego state addressed is
the one which responds

11. Complementary transactions
• According to Dr. Berne, these
transactions are healthy and
represent normal human
interactions.
• As Berne says in Games People
Play “communication will
proceed as long as transactions
are complementary.”

12. Two other possibilities for complementary
transactions are
• Parent to parent.
• Child to child.
Recollect a complementary transaction in
your life with P to P and C to C
transaction.
Go ahead and draw a transactional
diagram for each.
Think of words to fit the stimulus and the
response in each case.
Activity

13. 0 0
C
P
A A
S
R
FC to NP, NP to FC complementary Transaction
NP
AC FC AC FC
C
P
NP
Detailed analysis of transaction by using the functional model

14. First rule of communication
As long as transactions remain
complementary, communication can continue
indefinitely.

15. • Get into pairs and role
play each kind of
exchange (A to A, P to C, C
to P, FC to NP, NP to FC).
• See how long you can
keep going in a chain of
parallel transactions.
Activity

16. Crossed transaction
A crossed transaction is one in which the transactional vectors
are not parallel, or in which the ego state addressed is not the
one which responds.

17. 0 0
C
P
A A
S
R
FC to NP, CP to AC crossed Transaction
NP
AC FC AC FC
C
P
NP
Detailed analysis of transaction by using the functional model

18. Second rule of communication
When a transaction is crossed, a break in communication
results and one or both individuals will need to shift ego states
in order for communication to be re-established.

19. • Make up your own example of
an A-A stimulus crossed by a C-
P response.
• Make up your own example of
an A-A stimulus crossed by a P-
C response.
• Make up your own example of
an A-A stimulus crossed by a C-
C response.
Activity

20. • Get into pairs and role play a
conversation in which every
transaction is crossed.
• Each time the other person
speaks, decide which ego state
she was inviting you. Get into a
different ego state and
respond.
• See how long you can keep up
the sequence without slipping
into parallel transactions.
• When you finish, discuss your
experience during this
exercise.
Activity

21. • In an ulterior transaction, two
messages are conveyed at the
same time. One of these is an
overt or social level message.
The other is a covert or
psychological level message.
• Most often, the social level
content is Adult-Adult. The
psychological level messages are
usually either Parent –Child or
Child –Parent.
Ulterior transaction

22. Duplex Transactions
• Duplex Complementary
ulterior transactions are
those in which there is more
than one level of
communication.
• There will be hidden
messages as well as open
messages.
• Normally speaking, complex
transactions which takes
place at two levels will be
complementary because if
there is a crossed
transaction, the
communication will stop in
one way or another.

23. Angular Transaction
• An angular transaction
is described as one in
which one person gives
an open message
accompanied by a
hidden message, and
the second person gives
an open message which
is a response to the
hidden message.

24. • When I offer you a
transactional stimulus, I can
never MAKE you go into a
particular ego state.
• The most I can do is INVITE you
to respond from that ego state.
• To analyze any transaction
accurately, you need to
consider non-verbal clues as
well as words.
General point about transaction

25. Body Language
• According to Dr. Berne, one
must look at how the words
are being delivered (accents
on particular words, changes
in tone, volume, etc.) as the
non-verbal signs
accompanying those words
(body language, facial
expressions, etc.).
• Transactional Analysts will pay
attention to all of these cues
when analyzing a transaction
and identifying which ego
states are involved.

26. Types of communication
• The importance of these
non-verbal cues can be
understood by considering
the work of Dr. Albert
Mehrabian.
• Berne passed away in
1970, before Mehrabian’s
seminal work was
published. But Mehrabian’s
work quantitatively proved
the importance of non-
verbal cues in
communication.

28. Third rule of communication
The behavioural outcome of an ulterior transaction is
determined at the psychological and not at the social level.

29. • Make up your own example of
a duplex ulterior transaction.
• Make up your own example of
an angular ulterior transaction.
• Get into pairs and role play a
conversation in which
transaction is duplex.
• Role play a conversation in
which transaction is angular.
Activity

30. • Get into pairs and role play a
conversation
• Keep the words same.
• Find out how many different
kinds of transactions you can
generate by putting in
different non verbal.
Activity

31. Fourth rule of communication
In any communication, the value of the communication
ultimately depends on the receiver and not on the sender.

32. Internal Transaction
• Internal transaction is
a way of describing
what a person may do
inside his or her head.
• Each person can shift
ego states and hold a
conversation between
parent, adult and
child inside the self.

33. Bulls Eye Transaction
• Bulls eye transaction
occurs when a stimulus
from one person appeals
to all the ego states
(Parent, Adult and child)
of the other person
simultaneously.

34. Carom Transaction
• Carom Transaction is three
handed.
• One person speaks to another
while hoping to influence the
third one who can overhear it.
• For example, a man may be too
fearful to speak directly to is
boss, so says something to a co –
worker, hoping the boss will get
the message.

35. Diluted Transactions
• These are often half hostile,
half affectionate.
• The message is buried in
some form of kidding.
• For example, one student
may say to another, “Hey
genius, when you are going
to finish that book? I want
to read it.”. The other may
toss the book, saying “ Here
you are, butterfingers. Catch
it if you can.”

36. Weak Transactions
• Weak transactions are those that
are superficial, perfunctory and
lack feeling of intensity.
• Such is the case if a wife says to
husband, “I wonder if we should
go out for dinner tonight”, and he
responds “ I don’t care dear.
Whatever you say, dear.”

37. Gallows Transaction
• Any smiling response to a
person’s misfortune may
serve as a gallows
transaction.
• This inappropriate smile or
laugh is described by Claude
Steiner as the gallows
transaction.
• The smile serves to tighten
the noose and destructive
behavior is reinforced.

38. Healthy Transactions
• In healthy relationships,
people transact directly,
straightforwardly and on
occasion, intensely.
• These transactions are
complementary and free
from ulterior motives.

39. • No one kind of transaction is
good or bad in itself.
• Stephen Karpman in his article
Options developed the idea
that we can choose to transact
in whatever way we like.
• The object is to change what is
going on and get free in
whatever way you can.
Options

40. • Stephen Karpman sets four
conditions that need to be met
to choose to transact.
1. One or both ego states
must actually change.
2. The transaction must be
crossed.
3. The subject must be
changed.
4. The previous topic will be
forgotten.
Options

41. How to change one’s ego state?
There are three ways of changing ego states.
1. Behavioral way – imitate behaviors which have
been identified as parental, adult and childlike.
2. Phenomenological way – Separate your real self
from operating in the same ego states as your
executive self and to keep it in Adult as monitor for
what you are doing and then shift ego states in
your executive self, first to parent, then to child
and finally to adult.
3. Historical way – Use memories of childhood and
make comparisons with concrete situations you
had then which now seem to have some
connection and then imitate a parental figure or
yourself as a child, to be in the here and now.

42. • Think about a situation where
you have felt locked into a
familiar uncomfortable groove
of parallel transaction with
someone. Using the functional
model, locate the ego states
you and the other person have
been coming from.
• Now work out at least four
ways you could use you ego
state options to cross this flow
of transaction.
• From this list. Select on which is
safe.
Activity

43. Thank You

44. Other TA topics available on slideshare
1. Strokes - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/strokes-24081607.
2. Games People Play - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/psychological-
games-people-play.
3. Structural Analysis - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/the-ego-state-model.
4. What is TA? - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/what-ta-is
5. Cycles of Development - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/cycles-of-
developement-pamela-levin-transactional-analysis.
6. Stages of Cure - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/stages-of-cure.
7. Transactions - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/transactions-33677298.
8. Time Structuring - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/time-structuring.
9. Life Position - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/life-position.
10. Autonomy - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/autonomy-33690557.
11. Structural Pathology - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/structural-pathology.
12. Game Analysis - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/game-analysis-33725636.
13. Integrated Adult - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/integrated-adult.
14. Stroke Economy - http://www.slideshare.net/manumjoy/stroke-economy-
33826702.