Transactional Analysis Theory | Understand Relationship Better
Transactional analysis can be referred to as any interaction or communication between two people of different ego states. It requires us to be aware of how we feel, think and behave during interactions with others. Whether you’re in business, a parent, a social worker or interested in personal development, Transactional Analysis theory will enrich your dealings with people, and your understanding of yourself.Â
What is Transactional Analysis Theory ?
Transactional Analysis (TA) is is a psychoanalytic theory and method of therapy, developed by Eric Berne during the 1950s.  It enables us to understand the structure or the elements that constitute our personality. TA recognized that the human personality is made up of three “ego states”; each of which is an entire system of thought, feeling, and behavior from which we interact with each other.Â
The Ego States | Transactional Analysis Theory
An ego state basically consists of set of coherent patterns of being, deciding, thinking, feeling and behaving. According to transactional analysis, our personality is made up of basically three ego states – the Parent Ego State, the Adult Ego State and the Child Ego State.
Parent Ego State
The parent ego state is that part of the personality which we borrow from our parents and authoritarian figures in our daily lives. All of us, in childhood, absorb the personalities of others into our own. Usually without being conscious of it, we pick up other people’s postures, gestures, habits, ideas and expressions. We record these ways of seeing and doing things in our brains and later in life they become almost automatic responses. We express parent ego state outwardly in either of two ways – Critical Behavior or Nurturing Behavior. The critical parent ego state is about blaming others and giving unconstructive criticism. While, the nurturing parent ego state is primarily concerned with looking after, nurturing and comforting people.
Adult Ego State
The adult ego state deals with facts and not feelings and emotions.Â
The Adult ego state is about direct responses to the here and now. We deal with things that are going on today in ways that are not unhealthily influenced by our past. The Adult ego state is about being spontaneous and aware with the capacity for intimacy. When in our Adult we are able to see people as they are, rather than what we project onto them. We ask for information rather than stay scared and rather than make assumptions. The adult ego state checks on reality before making conclusions and responses.
Child Ego State
The Child ego state is a set of behaviors, thoughts and feelings which are replayed from our own childhood. The child ego state is the source of our emotional responses. Perhaps the boss calls us into his or her office, we may immediately get a churning in our stomach and wonder what we have done wrong. If we give it a deep thought, we might remember the time the head teacher called us in to tell us off. Of course, not everything in the Child ego state is negative. We might go into someone’s house and smell a lovely smell and remember our grandmother’s house when we were little
Transactions Among The Three Ego States
When people communicate wit each other, their ego states interact with each other. This is known as transaction. At any given point, a person is transacting from a particular ego state from among Parent (values), Adult (rationality) and Child ( Emotions, creativity). Transactions and communication will be healthy only when the ego states are complementary.Â
Person A and Person B, both the person can be in all the three states that is child, adult and parenting.
When Person A asks Person B in child state that he needs him to go with him, as he needs some help at the family function. The responses of B can be different in different states, such as :
Child: Yes, I will.
Adult: I have work, but I will think about it.Â
Parenting: No, I have work at the office.Â
From here, we can conclude that the person B can shift reply from one state to another like-“I have work at my office, but you need me more. I will come with you”. This is shifting from adult state to child state.Â
Further Berne concluded an exceptional case of cross shifting in which, when person A demands something in child state to person B, who replies in adult state, which also makes shifting in state of Person A. This can perform as a catalyst to behavior of another person. This also gives an increment to the role, and performance of the person for future situations.
Berne believes that our behavior with others, does not depend upon their action but on our state of mind or ego. According to this theory, we should prefer to always communicate in an adult state. As it is the most stable state and the rational one too. But we can change the state according to the circumstances.
Final Takeaway | Transactional Analysis Theory
Transactional Analysis is beneficial for communication as a person understands their communication with self while identifying the personality of another. This further, improves one in establishing better relationships. This theory is eligible for all kinds of relationships whether it is with colleagues, parents, partners or friends. A deeper understanding and practice of TA helps to understand where to modify our behaviors. While, making us aware of the patterns we display.
For In-depth Studies Refer : https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-019-0369-x
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