1. Who proposed the Theory?

Psychiatrist Eric Berne created the psychotherapy known as transactional analysis in the
late 1950s and early 1960s. It examines our speech patterns, interpersonal interactions, and the
roles we take on.

2. Background of Eric Berne

-Eric Berne was born Leonard Eric Bernstein on May 10, 1910, in Montreal, Canada to a writer
and a physician.
-His father contracted tuberculosis and passed away when he was young, and Berne and his
sister were raised by his mother.
-Berne studied medicine at McGill University, and received his degree in 1931. He entered a
residency at Yale, where he studied psychiatry and psychoanalysis
-Berne briefly served in the army during World War II, and upon release, he returned to his
studies.
-Married three times, each time ending in divorce. He had four children—two each from his first
two marriages.
-He died in 1970 from a heart attack.

Berne's Contribution to Psychology

-Berne's best-known contribution to psychology is his development of transactional analysis. TA
combines elements of psychoanalysis and cognitive theories of human behavior, and it offers
both theories of personality and personal growth.

3. What is the Theory all about?

-Transactional Analysis states that all individuals can change and create what they want out of
life.
-Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis Theory is based on Freud's psychoanalytic theory, which
states that the things people experience as children impact their lives as adults and create their
personalities and whatever issues they face, whether psychological or emotional.

-Berne agreed that a person's childhood greatly influences their communication style and
directly creates the three ego states of parent, adult, and child.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - A method in which a person learns to identify their ego states and
becomes aware of the way their Parent, Adult, and Child function.

Dr Berne identified THREE ego states, or roles, that everyone has: the Child, the Parent, and
the Adult. These ego states are a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that influence
how people interact with others.

A. The Child state is when we go back to feelings and actions that we would have engaged in

when we were children.

B. The Parent state occurs when we unknowingly adopt a "parent type" role, mimicking the

actions that our parents would have taken in a certain situation.

C. Adult state is the most objective of the three. It's stable, reasonable, and able to observe

what's going on in the moment to make a rational decision.

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS

This model focuses on personal development since it aims to allow individuals to

operate more from themselves and change the unhealthy script they learned as children.TA

therapy differs from other forms of therapy in that it can be used in non-therapeutic settings

such as parenting, education, business, and coaching.

Types of Human Transactions

1. Complementary Transactions - occurs when two people communicate with each

other in the same role.

example 1

Person A: Did you finish that staff review yet? I really need it. (Adult role)

Person B: Yes. Actually, I was about to send you the results. (Adult role)

example 2

Person A: Hey, would you like to leave work a bit early and go for a bike ride by the river?

(Child role)

Person B: Yeah! I don't have a lot going on, so leaving early sounds great. (Child role)

2. Crossed Transactions - take place when two people communicate with each other in

different roles.

ex.

Person A: Hey, would you like to leave work a bit early and go for a bike ride by the river?

(Child role)
Person B: You really need to act more responsibly. Next time you ask me to do something like

this, I'm going to tell the boss, and you'll get in trouble. (Parent role)

What’s there to learn?

When people communicate on the same level (ex. Adult to Adult) communication is often easy.

However, when people communicate on different levels (ex. Adult to Child) then true

communication often breaks do wn.

4. Goal of Theory

Its OBJECTIVE is to enhance these exchanges in order to make them balanced and healthy.

The GOAL is to help people understand that each role has its place and importance, but that, in

most situations, people should play the Adult role.

5. Importance or Significance

Transactional Analysis aims to help individuals realize what is shaping their communication and

interactions. Helping them become self aware creates a change and allows them to speak from

their adult ego, instead of the parent or child ego.

6. Important Techniques

GAMES

"Games" refer to human transactions that are predictable and have an ulterior, or hidden,

motive

Example conversation:

Person A: I sure wish I had the time to finish all my work. It never ends!

Person B: Why don't you stay late to get it done?

Person A: Yes, but I have to pick up my kids after school.

Person B: Why don't you come in on Saturday?

Person A: Yes, but I'm so busy on the weekends I wouldn't have time.

In this conversation, Person B has thought of several solutions and is out of ideas. There's

silence. This is an example of a conversation where Person A is the "helpless child," while

Person B takes on the "wise parent" role.

(NOTE) The goal of this game is although Person A might not realize it on a conscious level,

she plays the game because it makes everyone else feel as if they are the ones who are

inadequate. They can't find solutions to her problem – and deep down, she gets secret pleasure

from turning down their suggestions.

Blemish - In this game, the players feel comfortable only after they've identified someone else's

blemishes or faults.

Ex. “She probably got that promotion because her brother is in politics.”

Blemish is a negative game that players use to feel superior and gain reassurance about

themselves. More about this in Dr Berne's book "Games People Play."

Script Analysis

A "life script" refers to a person's unconscious beliefs, decisions, and expectations about
themselves and others, often formed in childhood.

These scripts influence how people perceive themselves, interact with others, and
navigate life situations.
 Berne proposed that during early childhood, individuals adopt certain beliefs and make
decisions about themselves and the world around them based on experiences, interactions, and
messages received from parents or influential people in their lives.

Script analysis involves uncovering these unconscious pattern to rewrite or change

negative or limiting scripts to create more fulfilling and positive life outcomes.

Importance of Script Analysis

Therapists or individuals engaging in script analysis aim to bring awareness to these
underlying beliefs, challenge negative or unhelpful scripts, and empower individuals to make
conscious choices that align with their true desires and goals.

8. Uniqueness

Transactional Analysis (TA) is unique due to its focus on the analysis of social transactions

between individuals

References and Videos:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/structural-analysis-game-analysis-and-script-analysis-in-
transactional-analysis-theory.html

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/ayjtd4p/transactional-analysis

https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/eric-berne.html