Eric Berne established Transactional Analysis (TA) as a psychoanalytic theory and therapeutic practice in the 1950s. Transactions refer to the interactions between people. Transactional analysis requires us to be aware about how we feel, think and behave during interactions with others. TA can help people improve their communication skills, which can lead to better decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict management. Overall, Transactional Analysis helps individuals understand their behavior and thinking patterns as well as the thinking and communication patterns of the people around them which leads to better relationship dynamics whether be be professional relationships, friendships or romantic relationships.
The need for TA
Dr. Eric Berne invented transactional analysis in the late 1950s, using the term "transaction" to designate the fundamental unit of social intercourse, with "transactional analysis" referring to the study of social interactions between persons. His inspirations were René Spitz, Erik Erikson, Paul Federn, Edoardo Weiss, Freud, and Wilder Penfield, a Canadian neurosurgeon. Transactional Analysis (TA) arose in the mid-twentieth century as a reaction to constraints in traditional psychoanalytic approaches and the changing demands of psychotherapy. Berne, a professional psychoanalytic, felt disillusioned with the abstract and theoretical aspect of psychoanalysis. He wanted a more practical and approachable way to analyze and improve interpersonal relationships and communication. Berne, a professional psychoanalytic, felt disillusioned with the abstract and theoretical aspect of psychoanalysis. He wanted a more practical and approachable way to analyze and improve interpersonal relationships and communication. Traditional psychoanalytic approaches were sophisticated and geared toward long-term therapy with skilled experts. Berne intended to build a framework that could be understood and used by both therapists and clients, therefore making therapy more collaborative and empowering. Along with these factors, the rise of group therapy and a therapy needed to bridge the gap between cognitive and behavioral approaches led to the rise of Transactional Analysis.
Core concepts of TA
Just like any other therapy, transactional analysis is made of certain concepts that set the direction and nature of what the therapy is about. Here are some of the main features involved in the practice of transactional analysis-
1. Ego states
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1. The child state
This is the state during interactions when we tend to react from a lens of what our childhood looked like. It simply means that thoughts and emotions that emerged in us as children will be played out here during conversations. It is also based on the reinforcements given to us as children- to behave or not to behave in a certain way that still affects how we interact today. There are two sub-divisions of the child state- the adapted child and the free child ego state. The adapted child adapts and acts in accordance with the wants of others in order to satisfy them and be perceived positively. However, when confronted with perceived conflict, it exhibits rebellious behavior, including resistance, aggression, and emotional reaction. The free child's ego state can be creative, impulsive, playful, and pleasure-oriented.
2. The parent state
These are the thoughts and the thinking patterns that we have seen amongst our parents or any authority figure such as teachers or relatives during our childhood. Berne believed that our first five years of childhood are crucial and we unconsciously imbibe a lot of thoughts and beliefs from our parents that get stored in our minds as perceptions and judgements as to how someone should behave, the shoulds and the shouldn'ts. People in this state react according to how their parents treated them without realizing that every situation is unique and it needs different perspectives which can only be offered in the here and now. Just like the child state, the parent state has two subdivisions too such as the controlling parent and the nurturing parent state. The critical parent expresses disapproval in a severe, possibly hostile manner. In contrast, the nurturing parent seeks to take over a problem in a more rescuing approach, hoping to comfort others.
3. The adult state
The adult state interacts with people and their surroundings in the present moment, rather than based on previous training or how others have instructed them to be.This mood is more open, logical, and less likely to pass harsh judgment on a circumstance or person.When we communicate as adults, we are more likely to be respectful, make concessions, listen fully to others, and engage in healthier social relationships. The three types of ego states affect how we perceive, judge and look at the information present in the world. The three states do not exist in isolation and are instead present in different parts in everyone of us. The state that becomes predominant in a particular person depends on the context of the situation and the person we’re talking to. The ego states end up interacting with one another in something which is known as “transactions”
2. Transactions
These are the different ways in which the three ego states communicate with each other. There are different ways in which transactions between ego states are carried out. The type of transactions that might manifest are-
1. Complementary transactions
It is crucial to highlight that, while the term 'complementary transactions' sounds nice, it does not imply that this form of communication is always beneficial. It simply means that the two ego states interacting in this kind of transaction are parallel in nature. For example- if a child state of the sender interacts with the parent state of the receiver, it is termed complementary in nature. However, a child state interacting with a parent state might not always be ideal in nature, especially if it’s a conversation between two colleagues at work. The most appropriate kind of complementary transaction would be between two adult ego states.
2. Crossed transactions
Crossed transactions occur when the ego states of two individuals who are communicating do not coincide. When the sender's ego state does not reach the respondent's desired or planned ego state, they reply to the sender in a conflicting manner. A very good example of this would be if your partner comes to you complaining about how you are a messy person and always forget to clean the dishes before you leave the house. The partner is coming from a critical parent state and expects you to receive the message from a child’s state by being apologetic and feel remorse. However, responding from your adult or parent state would result in a crossing transaction, requiring someone to adjust their ego states to adapt so that communication could continue. TA thinks that responding from your adult state increases the likelihood that the sender will return to their adult state to compensate for the gap in uncomplimentary ego states, resulting in interactions from adult to adult that are healthier and more polite.
3. Ulterior transactions
Ulterior transactions occur when the sender sends a message to the receiver that seems to originate from his adult state to the recipient's adult state. However, there is an underlying, subtle communication sent from the sender's child or parent state to the responder's child or parent state. Thus, two messages are transmitted concurrently. The sender might do this either knowingly or subconsciously. This type of interaction might play out by a friend telling another friend that moving out is completely their choice but it’s definitely hard to live alone. This might look like a adult to adult ego state transaction, however, if the tone or the facial expressions of the sender comes from a parent ego state, it might evoke the receiver’s rebellious child ego state and the friend might subconsciously think that they have to prove to them by showing how capable they are as an individual by moving out. Apart from transactions, Eric Berne also introduced certain statements that we often use during our interactions which might have a huge consequence in how are interactions are carried out with each other. These statements are known as strokes.
3. Strokes
Eric Berne described a stroke as the "fundamental unit of social action". A stroke is a unit of recognition used when one person acknowledges another. A stroke can be physical, verbal, or nonverbal, such as a handshake, compliment, or a nod of the head. It might also be a "Hello", "Go away!" or a contemptuous hand wave. All of them recognize the other person's existence. There are mainly two kinds of strokes- positive and negative. A positive stroke might look like an individual saying “hello” to their neighbor and them waving back. On the other hand, a negative stroke might look like the neighbor frowning at the individual when greeted. Strokes can also be conditional and unconditional. Conditional strokes can be positive or negative and are usually aimed at what you do and unconditional strokes are strokes given for who you are.
4. Life scripts
Now that we’ve looked at strokes and transactions, we come to our last defining concept of transactional analysis which are called life scripts. Life scripts are unconscious relationship patterns shaped by our implicit, experienced beliefs, body-based survival responses, and explicit judgments. These scripts typically emerge during times of relationship stress at important stages in our development. These thoughts and decisions are reinforced by both vocal and nonverbal communication throughout our lives. We then continue to live out these scripts as we become older, which can be harmful since some scripts prevent us from responding rationally, spontaneously, and openly in our current relationships.
How is transactional analysis used in therapy?
The overall purpose or motive of TA treatment is to help the client become a more mature adult. This is accomplished by utilizing insightful questions and tools to determine what leads the client to move into parent or child ego mode, and then devising useful tactics to employ in these situations to remain in their adult state instead.This technique, known as script analysis, examines and investigates the scripts we formed as children. During script analysis, any positive or negative reinforcements we received as children to act or not behave in a specific manner will be investigated, as well as life messages we have provided, such as 'only lucky people get rich,' or 'you have to suffer to achieve.' People will also consider whether they are modeling/copying how they see their parents and authoritative figures acting. Additionally, more subtle messages we received growing up will be analyzed (referred to as injunctions), such as always being told to be quiet when your parents were speaking to friends, which could imprint the belief 'no one wants to hear me' or 'what I want to say doesn't really matter.' These will be explored in therapy, as well as how they currently affect our interactions.
Conclusion
As we have seen, TA is a contemporary theory in psychotherapy which has emerged from a field of psychoanalysis. Transactional analysis is mainly used by therapists with clients who are self aware to notice their thoughts and interaction patterns with others and want to change them. Numerous researches have shown that TA can be an excellent tool to improve relationships with loved ones, reduce conflicts and facilitate better communication. Therefore, by embracing the dynamics of our transactions with the help of TA, we aim for personal growth, healthier lives and loving relationships with the people around us.
