Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis Theory

Human behavior is influenced by various factors such as people, events, environment, religion or culture. The study of such started in the early 1900s by different psychologist around the world who play a part in the development of understanding human behavior. In the 20th century, this was further simplified by Eric Berne, a Canadian-born psychiatrist, through his “Transaction Analysis Theory” which became the fundamental unit in psychotherapeutic science.

Transactional Analysis (TA) Theory is a method of therapy that analyze human behavior based on determining the ego state of the patient. In TA theory, an individual is observed not only his/her internal psychological dynamics but focus more on the transaction or the interactions of an individual

Stated another way, stored in the Child are the emotions or feelings which accompanied external events. Like the Parent, recordings in the Child occur from childbirth all the way up to the age of approximately 5 years old (Berne, 1964). A child ego state is more on being emotionally sensitive that they show emotional sad expressions, despair, temper tantrums, whining voice, teasing, speaking behind hands, squirming and giggling. They also express words like I wish, I dunno, I want, I don’t care, not again, things never go right for me, worst day of my life and words to impress.

This is can be classified as follows:

 Free Child Ego State (natural Child) – It is the seat of spontaneous feeling and behavior. It is the side where the world is experienced in a direct and immediate way. It can be playful, authentic, expressive and emotional. It, along with the Adult, is the seat of creativity (Carol Solomon, 2003, p.16).

 Adapted Child Ego State (also contains the Rebellious Child ego state) – the part of personality that has learned to comply with the parental messages we received growing up. An individual adapt in one way or another. When faced with parental messages that are restricting, instead of complying with them, a person rebel against it. This becomes Rebellious Child ego state, an alternative to complying (Carol

Complementary Transactions is when the response must go back from the receiving ego state to the sending ego state. These transactions are healthy and represent normal human interactions. The communication will proceed as long as transactions are complementary (Eric Berne, 1961, p.30).

Unfortunately, not all transactions between humans are healthy. A person may encounter an individual with different ego state from him/her. This is classified as Crossed transaction. In this transaction, an ego state is different than the ego state which received the stimuli is the one that responds.

Ulterior Transaction is an interaction which occur when words seem to be coming from an adult ego state but in reality, the words or behaviors are coming from another (Human Resource Development, Lesson 11). Sometimes people don’t know what to ask or how to ask it in a direct way so they tend to hide or use the ulterior ego state. This can be a waste of time on the party, trying to search the hidden meaning of your words.

An example of this transactions are as follows:

Complementary Transaction

Agents Adult: “Do you know where my wallet is?” (note that this stimuli is directed at the Respondents