Transactional Analysis is a set of psychological theories developed by Eric Berne and others during a series of seminars in Carmel California.
It has been a potent tool used in psychotherapy, counselling, and education since the 1950s. The theory primarily aims to address how people interact with one another, founded upon the notion of different ego states that each individual embodies.
Eric Berne was a Canadian psychiatrist with a profound interest in psychoanalysis. Born Eric Leonard Bernstein in 1910, he pursued his medical training at McGill University and then moved to the United States for his psychiatric training. As he later delved into psychoanalysis, feeling dissatisfied with traditional psychoanalytic theories, Berne began developing a social psychology approach that emphasised interactions between individuals, thereby giving rise to Transactional Analysis.
TA was introduced during the 1950s, and its premise is rooted in two major insights. Berne’s first insight, drawn from Freud’s work, subdivides human personality into three distinct ego states: the Parent, the Adult, and the Child (PAC). These states exhibit distinct ways of reacting and engaging in conversation. Berne’s second insight stems from recognising that communication transactions between individuals’ ego states can reflect their behavioural patterns.
In Principles of Group Treatment, Eric Berne defined an ego state as –
“A consistent pattern of feeling and experience directly related to a corresponding pattern of behaviour”
Berne and others described three distinct ego states. The distinction between the ego states relates to the source of the thinking, feeling, and subsequent behaviour. He named them the Parent, Adult, and Child ego states, and in all his writing, he capitalised each word to distinguish them from actual parents, adults, and children.
- The Parent state mirrors attitudes assimilated from parents or parent-like figures.
- The Adult is concerned with assessing reality and acting accordingly,
- The Child resembles the intuitive and typically emotional state of mind from childhood.
TA offered a scheme to comprehend, predict, and alter communication patterns by understanding these states, hence enhancing self-awareness, empathy, and problem-solving skills.
Berne developed the language of TA to be user-friendly and vernacular, steering clear of ambiguous psychoanalytic terms. His first seminal book, “Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy”, released in 1961, was a collective manifesto of his ideas. Followed by that, in 1964, his second book, “Games People Play”, became widely popular as it portrayed common, harmful behaviour patterns termed “games.” These game patterns describe unconscious, dysfunctional interactions within individuals.
During the 1960s, TA grew in popularity as both a theory and a practice. From its roots in psychotherapy and counselling, TA expanded to organisational and educational settings, contributing to teaching, coaching, and conflict management. To further the teaching and practice of TA, Berne established the International Transactional Analysis Association in 1964.
As the TA theory matured, Berne introduced further key concepts like ‘life scripts’ (our life plans formed in early childhood) and ‘strokes’ (units of recognition and interaction). He stressed that these ideas were just as crucial as ego states to understand human behaviour.
Berne’s Transactional Analysis provided an insightful and practical framework to understand human behaviour and communication. Even though Berne passed away in 1970, his rich legacy continues to flourish today across the spheres of psychotherapy, counselling, education, and organisational training.
Berne, E. (1966). Principles of group treatment. Oxford University Press.
