Transaction analysis

1. Transactional analysis
Anuttama Banerjee

2. WHAT IS TRANSACTION
• In the 1950's Eric Berne began to develop his theories of
Transactional Analysis
• He said that verbal communication, particularly face to face, is
at the centre of human social relationships
• His starting-point was that when two people encounter each
other, one of them will speak to the other. This he called the
Transaction Stimulus. The reaction from the other person he
called the Transaction Response
• The person sending the Stimulus is called the Agent. The person
who responds is called the Respondent

3. 3 EGO STATES
• Each person is made
up of 3 ego states
(Parent, Child and
Adult)
• Chronological
conditions are
irrelevant to these ego
states.
• We shift from one ego
state to another in
transactions.

4. Parent Ego states
• Internalized voice of command and authority
• Parent is our 'Taught' concept of life
• Typically embodied by phrases and attitudes
starting with 'how to', 'under no
circumstances', 'always' and 'never
forget', 'don't lie, cheat, steal', etc
• Parent is now commonly represented as a circle
with four quadrants:

5. Child Ego State
• The immature self governed by emotions and lack of logic
• Expressions like I don't care, oh no, not again, things
never go right for me, worst day of my life, many
superlatives etc are the examples of child ego states
• Child is our 'Felt' concept of life
• Child is now commonly represented as circle with four
quadrants:

6. Adult Ego State
• 'Adult‘ state is our ability to think and determine action for
ourselves, based on received data
• It is our 'Thought' concept of life
• Expressions like I think, I realize, I see, I believe, in my
opinion, why, can you please explain etc are found in
adult state
• There is no general rule as to the effectiveness of any ego
state in any given situation (some people get results by
being dictatorial (Parent to Child), or by having temper
tantrums, (Child to Parent), but for a balanced approach
to life, Adult to Adult is generally recommended

7. Examples of some transactions
• Parent: Now, don't you DARE get
• yourself all messy!
• Child: WOW! Look how tall my castle
• is!!!!!
• Adult: This sand looks really interesting. I
• can make a castle.

8. Transactions
• Transactions: Among P, A and C
• P < -- > P
• A < -- > A
• C < -- > C
• There are 9 possible transactions
• Transactional Analysts are trained to recognize what ego
states people are transacting from, and to follow, in precise
detail, the transactional sequences that people engage in
as they interact with each other

9. 9
Types of Interpersonal Transactions
P P
A
CC
A
P P
A
CC
A
P P
A
CC
A
P P
A
CC
A
P P
A
CC
A
P P
A
CC
A
COMPLEMENTARY CROSSED ULTERIOR
EXPECTED
RESPONSE, NO
CONFLICT
PRODUCE CONFLICT, STOP
COMMUNICATION, HURT
FEELINGS
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
NON-VERBAL HIDDEN MEANING

10. Example of some transactions
• Adult: “Will you tell me what time it is?”
• Adult: “Yes, it is four o’clock. (Complementary)
• Adult: “Can you tell me what time it is?”
• Parent: “You’re always late, anyway, why would
you even care?” (Crossed)

11. Strokes
• Eric Berne defined a stroke as a “unit of human
recognition”
• A stroke can be a look, a nod, a smile, a spoken
word, a touch
• Strokes can be positive or negative. Most of us
like positive strokes better than negative ones
• Strokes can be both conditional and
unconditional
• Strokes finally determine the positions we take
in life

12. 12
Stroking
The Types of Strokes You Seek
Depend on Your Okayness
PRAISE
COMPLEMENTS
RECOGNITION
AFFECTION
REWARDS
SYMPATHY
CONSOLATION
SELF-SATISFACTION
FROM JOB WELL
DONE
PUT-DOWN
CRITICISM
DEGRADING
RIDICULE
SCOLDING
PUNISHMENT
DISCOUNTING
POSITIVE
STROKES
NEGATIVE
STROKES
CONDITIONAL
STROKES
STROKES WITH
ULTERIOR MOTIVES
STROKES GIVEN FOR
WHAT YOU DO, RATHER
THAN FOR WHAT YOU
ARE:
(1) PERFORMANCE
ORIENTED
STROKE
(2) ACCOMODATION &
CONFORMITY
ORIENTED
STROKES

13. What is life position?
• It is based on the messages received and the
decisions made, a young child develops a basic
life position.
• They are also called “existential positions”
because they influence how we view our own and
others existence
• Most babies are born in the position of feeling
OK about themselves and OK about others. If
things go well they will be able to maintain that
position throughout their life

14. Concept of Life Positions
I am not OK, you are OK –
Depressive
I am not OK , you are not OK
– futility
I am OK, you are not OK-
Paranoid
I am OK, you are OK -
Healthy
I'm not OK
You're OK
C - P
I'm OK
You're OK
A - A
I'm not OK
You're not OK C
- C or P - P
or P - C or C - P
I'm OK
You're not OK
Aggressive
Critical P - C

15. Game Analysis : results from assumed
life position
• In the game of life people take 3 kinds of roles:
• A) persecutor : cruel, imposes rules, get pleasure in
dominating
• B) victim : provoke others to insult them, put them
down
• C) rescuer: helps others to make them dependent on
them
• None of these categories are truly what they play,
they assume role not out of realistic demand but out
of the their need to enjoy certain social positions
and to repeat their pattern

16. Concept of Games
• Berne codified socially dysfunctional behavior
patterns in terms of the "games" that people play
• In order to obtain recognition and to secure one’s
emotional security games are played
• The true intentions are hidden under cover
• Examples of a commonly used game
YDYB: Why Don't You / Yes But……

17. Script Analysis
• It focuses on how children unconsciously choose a common myth
or story as the model for their future, then forget it, leaving the
adult taking action based on a plan for life of which he/she is not
consciously aware
• We may not realize that we have set ourselves a plan but we can
often find this out if we ask ourselves what our favorite childhood
story was, who was our favorite character in the story and who do
we identify with
• For e.g. an employee always feels that she is helpless and going to
be exploited by male colleagues because she has crafted this
script within her and perceives self and others from that
perspective

18. JOHARI WINDOW

19. What is Johari Window????
• The Johari Window is a communication model
that can be used to improve understanding
between individuals
• Developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham
(the word “Johari” comes from Joseph Luft and
Harry Ingham).

20. Two key ideas behind the tool:
• Individuals can build trust between themselves
by disclosing information about themselves
• They can learn about themselves and come to
terms with personal issues with the help of
feedback from others
• Helps to develop healthy interpersonal
relationship

22. Examples of 4 windows
• Examples of Arena : your name, things
you write in blog
• Examples of Blind spot: Your own
manners, other’s feelings about you
• Examples of Façade : Your secrets, your
hopes etc
• Examples of unknown : unconscious
motives, desires, conflicts

23. Benefits of TA
• Helps in better understanding of self and
others
• Improves communication at work and at
family
• Reduces inter personal conflict