2. Transactional Analysis
▪ It is a psycho analytic theory and method of
therapy.
▪ Social transactions are analysed to determine
the ego state of a person as a basis of
understanding behaviour.
▪ Types of ego:
1. Parent-like ego state
2. Adult-like ego state
3. Child-like ego state
▪ Psychologists use transactional analysis to
teach the patient to alter the ego state as a way
to solve emotional problems.
3. I’m OK &
You are
OK
I’m OK &
You are
not OK
I’m not
OK &
You are
OK
I’m not
OK &
You are
not OK
LIFE POSITION
There are four life
positions that a
person can hold,
and holding a
particular
psychological
position has
profound
implications for how
an individual
operationalizes his
or her life. The
positions are stated
as:
4. Script Analysis
▪ Script analysis is the method of uncovering the
'early decisions, made unconsciously, as to how life
shall be lived'.
▪ The purpose of script analysis is to aid the individual
to achieve autonomy by recognizing the script's
influence on values, decisions, behaviors and
thereby allowing them to decide against the script.
▪ From the early transactions between mother, father
and child, a life plan evolves.
▪ Scripts can be changed.
5. ▪ Life scripts from our childhood continue to have a deep
and unconscious effect on how we live our lives. They
affect the decision we make.
▪ Our life scripts are often encouraged and shaped by
parents and other family members, whose life scripts
were shaped by their parents and so on. Likewise, our
scripts are also woven by cultural and national forces.
▪ Life scripts can be very detailed and they can be very
vague. They can be very empowering, yet they can also
severely limit our lives.
▪ Script messages are seen as coming from:
1. Modelling: Visible ways adults and peers behave.
2. Attributions: Being told 'you're just like...'
3. Suggestions: Hints and encouragement such as 'Always do
your best'.
4. Injunctions: Demands to do or not do things.
Typical Injunctions includes:
7. “The same boiling water
that softens the potato
hardens the egg. It’s about
what you are made of and
not the circumstances”
-Unknown
8. TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS
▪ A transaction = any interaction or
communication between 2 people.
▪ People send and receive messages out of
and into their different ego state.
▪ Within ego states there are three different
types of transaction:
a) Complementary
b) Crossed
c) Ulterior
9. COMPLEMENTARY
TRANSACTIONS
Occurs when the sender of the message gets
the intended response from the receiver.
Generally, complementary transactions result in
more effective communication with fewer hurt
feelings and arguments.
P
A
C C
A
P
10. CROSSED TRANSACTIONS
Occur when the sender of the message does not get the
expected response from the receiver.
Generally, cross transactions result in surprise,
disappointment, and hurt feelings for the sender of the
message.
P
A
C C
A
P
11. ULTERIOR TRANSACTIONS
Occur when the words seem to be coming from one ego
state, but in reality the words or behaviours are coming
from another.
P
A
C C
A
P
