Transactional analysis

From ACT Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Working effectively with others.

(TA).

Transactional analysis views social transactions as a basis for understanding people's behaviour and motivations.


It was popularised by Eric Berne in his 1964 book Games People Play.

Berne identified three dominant - and often unconscious - 'ego states' involved in social transactions: 'Parent', 'Child' and 'Adult'.


The idea is that bringing these ego states into our awareness can help to:

  • Reduce destructive - usually unconscious - 'game playing'; and
  • Promote more productive and positive social transactions, grounded mainly in Adult to Adult exchanges.


See also