TRANSACTIONAL
ANALYSIS
A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Transactional Analysis
• Eric Berne was born in 1910 in Montreal,
Canada. His father was a doctor & his
mother was an editor.
• His father died at age 38, when Eric was 9
• Earned an MD in 1935 from McGill Univ.
• Became a US citizen and served in Utah
during WWII, practicing group therapy

Transactional Analysis
Four methods of understanding &
predicting human behavior
• Structural analysis – within the person
• Transactional analysis – 2 or more
people
• Game analysis – understanding
transactions that lead to reduce bad
feelings
• Script analysis – understand a person’s
life plan

Transactional Basis
• Id – Pleasure Principle
• Ego- Realistic Principle
• Super Ego- Ethical Principle

Focuses on the individual but also
one’s relationship to others
A model for explaining why and how:
People think like they do
People act like they do
People interact/communicate with
others like they do

EACH OF US IS REALLY
THREE PEOPLE!!!!

7
Ego state involve thinking as well as feeling and
behaviour
 People have three ego states:
 Parent:
 Child:
 Adult:
 Biological conditions are irrelevant to these ego
states.
• We shift from one ego state to another in
transactions.
Types of Ego States

Parent Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral patterns based
on messages or lessons learned from parents and other
‘parental’ or authoritarian sources
• Should and should not; always and never
• Prejudicial views on things such as:
religion dress
traditions work
money companies
Parent
Critical parent
Nurturing parent
• Critical views (fault finding, judgmental, condescending
views)
• Nurturing views (sympathetic, caring views)

Adult Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral
patterns based on objective analysis of
information (data, facts)
• Make decisions based on logic,
computations, probabilities, etc. (not
emotion)
• Adult- current self

Child Ego State
• Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behavioral
patterns based on child-like emotions,
impulses, feelings we have experienced
• Child-like examples
Impulsive
Self-centered
Angry
Fearful
Happy
Pleasure seeking
Rebellious
Happy
Curious
Eager to please
Child
Natural child (affectionate playful)
Adapted child

Types of Parental & Child Ego State
Nurturing Controlling
Parents Parents
Natural Adapted
Child Child
11
Adult Ego State
Parent Ego State
Child Ego State
A
NP CP
NC AC

Transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis - Transactions
between people are seen as having 3
levels:
• Complementary – both people are
operating from the same ego state
• Crossed – the other person reacts from
an unexpected ego state
• Ulterior – two ego states within the same
person but one disguises the other

Types of Transactions
• A transaction = any interaction or
communication between 2 people
• People send and receive messages out of and
into their different ego states
• How people say something (what others hear?)
just as important as what is said
• Types of communication, interactions
1) Complementary
2) Crossed
3) Ulterior

Complementary ‘Transactions’
• Complementary – both people are operating from the
same ego state
• Interactions, responses, actions regarded as appropriate
and expected from another person.
• Parallel communication arrows, communication
continues.
Example 1:#1-What time do you have?
#2-I’ve got 11:15.
P
A
C
P
A
C

Complementary ‘Transactions’
(cont.)
Example 2:
P
A
C
P
A
C
#1 You’re late again!
#2 I’m sorry. It won’t
happen again.

Crossed ‘Transactions’
• Crossed – the other person reacts from an unexpected ego
state
• Interactions, responses, actions NOT regarded as
appropriate or expected from another person.
• Crossed communication arrows, communication breakdown.
Example 1-#1What time do you have?
#2-There’s a clock on the wall, why don’t you
figure it out yourself?
P
A
C
P
A
C

Crossed ‘Transactions’ cont’d
Example 2 #1 You’re late again!
#2 Yeah, I know, I had a flat tire.
P
A
C
P
A
C

Ulterior ‘Transactions’
• Ulterior – two ego states within the same person
but one disguises the other
• Interactions, responses, actions which are
different from those explicitly stated
Example #1- How about coming up to my room and
listening to some music?
P
A
C
P
A
C

STROKES
• The recognition that one person gives to
another
• Essential to a person's life
• Can vary from actual physical touch to
praise

MOST OF US SUFFER FROM
STROKE HUNGER!!!!!!

• Positive Strokes- “I love you”, “ you did a
good job”
• Negative Strokes- “I hate you”
• When positive strokes are not given, we
look for negative strokes rather than be
without strokes at all!!
• It makes life easier.

There are six ways people
can structure their time to get
strokes:
WITHDRAWAL
RITUALS
PASTIMES
GAMES
INTIMACY
WORK

WITHDRAWAL
• Here two people do not overtly communicate
with one another

RITUAL
• A pre-set exchange of recognition
strokes.
• "Hi!"
“How are you?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Well, see you around. Bye!"

PASTIME
• A pre-set conversation around a certain
subject.
• Pastimes are most evident at cocktail
parties and family get-together.

GAMES
• Repetitive, devious series of transactions
intended to get strokes.
• Unfortunately, the strokes obtained in
games are mostly negative.

WORK
• An activity which has a product as its
result.
• Good or bad work results in the
exchange of strokes.

Intimacy
• A direct and powerful exchange of
strokes which people crave but seldom
attain
• The Child is frightened away from it by
hurtful experiences.

Life Position
• Four basic life position:
• I’m OK, you’re not OK – get away from me
• I’m not OK, you’re OK – I’ll never get anywhere
• I’m not OK, you’re not OK – get rid of each other
• I’m OK, you’re OK – ideal