Transactional Analysis

Transactional analysis is a social psychology developed by Eric Berne,

MD (d.1970). Over the past four decades Eric Berne's theory has evolved
to include applications to psychotherapy, counseling, education, and
organizational development.

Psychotherapy

Transactional analysis is a powerful tool to bring about human well being. In psychotherapy,
transactional analysis utilizes a contract for specific changes desired by the client and involves
the "Adult" in both the client and the clinician to sort out behaviors, emotions and thoughts that
prevent the development of full human potential. Transactional analysts intervene as they work
with clients in a safe, protective, mutually respectful-OK/OK--- environment to eliminate
dysfunctional behaviors and establish and reinforce positive relationship styles and healthy
functioning. Transactional analysts are able to use the many tools of psychotherapy, ranging
from psychodynamic to cognitive behavioral methods in effective and potent ways. Examples of
transactional analysis psychotherapy can bee seen in our Master Therapists series, the Ellyn
Bader and Peter Pearson Couples Therapy Videotapes and the Carlo Moiso-Isabelle Crespelle
DVD. (See our Products page.)

Counseling

Counselors who utilize transactional analysis work contractually on solving "here and now"
problems. Counseling work focuses on creating productive problem solving behaviors. Using
transactional analysis, counselor's establish an egalitarian, safe and mutually respectful working
relationship with their clients. This working relationship provides tools clients can utilize in their
day-to-day functions to improve the quality of their lives.

Educational

Transactional Analysis is a practical educational psychology that offers a way of transforming

educational philosophy and principles into everyday practice. TA concepts provide a flexible and
creative approach to understanding how people function and to the connections between human
behavior, learning and education. Teaching them to both teachers and students is a process of
empowerment, enhancing effective methods of interaction and mutual recognition.

Educational TA is both preventive and restorative. TA concepts are developed and used with
people of all ages and stages of development in their various social settings. The aim is to
increase personal autonomy, to support people in developing their own personal and professional
philosophies and to enable optimum psychological health and growth.

The key philosophical concepts that underpin Educational TA are:

• Effective educators offer empathic acceptance of all human beings as people together
with respect for their dignity. These qualities are at the heart of successful learning
relationships.
• People at any age and stage can learn to take responsibility for their own decisions and
actions.
• Educational difficulties can be addressed effectively with co-operative goodwill and a
coherent theoretical framework that makes sense of the human dynamics involved.

The process of educational TA is contractual, so that all parties know where they stand, and what
agreements have been made for what purposes. Throughout the process the ideas and methods of
TA are used openly to promote informed co-operation and the sharing of power between all
parties.

TA can be used to address important issues in:

• initial and continuing teacher education

• institutional climate and culture
• developmental and educational needs
• self esteem building
• parent education
• student motivation
• staff morale and teacher well-being
 • blocks to learning and teaching
• behaviour management

Above all educational TA is invaluable in helping people to thrive and in promoting healthy and
effective learning in a wide variety of contexts.

Organizational

Transactional Analysis is a powerful tool in the hands of organizational development specialists.

Through presenting the basic concepts of transactional analysis and using it as the basic theory to
undergird the objectives of their clients, organizational development specialists build a common
strategy with which to address the particular needs of organizations and to build a functional
relationship, as well as eliminate dysfunctional organizational behaviors.

The management style is basically an interpersonal transaction. The cases of one about people
and the exercise of power is communicated by verbal or nonverbal interpersonal encounter. A
potentially powerful framework for understanding these events is given in the work of Harris
(based on Eric Berne) on Transactional Analysis.

In each of the transactional relationships between one or more individuals are used terminology
that can damage communication and thus facilitate the occurrence of unnecessary conflicts or
genuine, with its consequent results. Hence the variables communication, leadership and conflict
form a whole worthy of analysis.

It is assumed then that the transactions in interpersonal relationships may be a direct source of
conflict. Interest of this material is to approach this subject from the theoretical point of view-
integrative.

Development

When people interact in any context, there is inevitably a social transaction in which a person
reacts to the other. The study of such transactions has been given the name of Transactional
Analysis. This was proposed by Eric Berne in the 1950s as a kind of psychotherapy.
The Transactional Analysis of the premise that personality is in every element of parents, adults
and children. People interact with each other from these three different psychological positions
known as ego states. It is believed that all people operate from one of the three and maintain
specific language codes in each case.

People who act from the Parent ego state tend to be protective, controlling, stimulating, critical
or other stimuli. They may relate in a dogmatic to the rules and policies, with words “always,”
“never,” “should,” “should,” the global evaluative feedback as “that stupid you are” descriptive
feedback specified as “irritates me to leave disorganized papers, guilt-inducing statements like
“if I respect … ..” and physical indications as to point the accusatory finger so. “

The Father in us can be used primarily withdrawal of affection and tries to resolve conflicts from
the perspective of the obligation by making use of the power.

The status of the adult self is expressed in a rational behavior, calculating, objective and not
emotional. These people try to improve the decisions under the focus of the questions concerned
with the how, when, where, looking for facts and objective information and hold discussions.
Are shown in a variety of phrases like “I see,” “believe,” “From my point of view,” in my
opinion. ” Emphasize problem solving and are cooperative in resolving conflictual. In terms of
power, the manager would be considered ideal.

Finally the child that is in us reflects the emotions children developed in stages behaves
carelessly in his position, looks away or looks down. It is dependent, spontaneous, creative,
competitive and facing the resolution of conflicts through avoidance and flexibility in the
situation.

The conversations we have are a mixture of the three ego states. Each has positive and negative
characteristics. Our tone of voice, postures, gestures and facial expressions we can reflect the
state of ME.

According to the types of transactions that may or may not appear to establish different types of
conflicts given in the specific context of relationships. Transactions in which I state the
transmitter and receiver are compatible in terms of directionality of responses and are
represented in parallel are called complementary transactions. Moreover, transactions or non-
complementary cross-communication interrupt.

How can interests be threatened between supervisor and employee to a transaction type not
complementary? If we were to frame the situation, we would say that interpersonal conflict can
emerge at the same time within a group. The positions of the members are opposed, which can
run wild in a defensive position. In some cases the child defends himself with words of earlier
stages as “I do not care”, “make” and others, to which the manager can respond using the power
entrusted to him. Interpersonal conflicts are a major problem for the company because emotions
profoundly affect the individual; there is a need to protect self-image from damage caused by
others. Relationships may be at risk and compromised. Sometimes tempers between two people
collide.

Looking at the matter more deeply, we see that this case may be conflicts in a psychological
nature and involve different needs of the parties and inequality of power and belonging. May be
related to the values of people and their level of information on the case they defend. Therefore
we must analyze each of the positions, interests and needs.

The conflict then becomes an interactional process that has a baseline situation, development and
purpose which involves a critical moment. Here it gets worse when the number of involved
increases and as the latter are influenced.

Is an antagonistic and complex process, depending on the number of people involved, the
urgency of resolution and by the time we have to solve it. But this process also is co / built by the
parties. That is, the two people (child-father) built the problem. They have a shared responsibility
and its solution from the different styles of management and conflict resolution.

We consider in this case the conflict as a dependent variable and the development of the
contradictions that exist in the transaction and its resulting differences as independent variable.

The conflict in this relationship is not the process itself, but all differences. Generates substantial
changes and is in the business. T
o analyze the time is a fundamental factor to consider.
When the dispute process is long, there are opportunities to look more calm, but when short
events are stacked and becomes more blurred.

The emotional conflicts that occur in this transaction and communication barriers of this type
affect the proper functioning of the company. The emotional type communication barriers caused
a psychological distance between people, while the emotional conflict causes people to perceive
their opponents as entities that affect or are about to affect your emotional integrity.

The decision conflicts are given also for the use of power of the executive, who perceives as
threatening their environment and invaded his authority. The perception of power to acquire
another shade of response and the supervisor to enter into a conflict of decision.

The transaction between the leaders that always occurs from parent to child, not always a
negative mark in terms of labor relations, but it should be noted that when the employee gets
used to a Child ego state in their transactions, not mature, nor learn to brainstorm, do not allow to
facilitate decision making in the organization.

The concept of transaction puts in some way to highlight the responsibility that exists in both
parties in the interaction, according to initiate or respond as employees and managers.

The conflict begins with the reaction of employees at the employer decisions and ways of their
resolution depends heavily on time, circumstances and content that contains within it the
conflict, that is, its essence.

Conflicts CHILD PADRE_ transactions may be based on a variety of elements such as

organizational change, different value systems of people, perceptions and opposing views, which
favor other varieties such as interpersonal conflicts, intra-group , intergroup and organizational
or institutional.

The position of the Father comes to conflict resolution through the use of fear or threat of
punishment in the exercise of power. The difference in status in this case creates a
communication barrier, and at the same time providing a source of conflict itself by the use of
power.
The position of the child is to escape, and respond flexibly to the conflict. They belong to the
group of “yes people”.

In the case of an adult, accurate solutions are sought to resolve and avoid unnecessary conflicts
or genuine. It is considered that this is the most feasible way of compromise.

Trying to communicate openly as does the adult is the best way to be assertive and to reach
others. If we want to be:

* We describe the conduct that causes annoyance. Rather than prosecute her, expose it for what it
is.

* We should express our feelings so we can communicate in a more involved. This demonstrates
the commitment to what we are saying.

* We need to create empathy for the other person know that we intend to understand from their
point of view.

* We should try to negotiate the change. At this point we show what we want to change the other
person.

* We must explain the consequences of change.

ADULT ADULTO_ The transaction demonstrates the acceptance of self and others, the other
positions are less mature. The important thing is that this position can be learned and thus also
learn to manage conflict. That’s why we try to work in this regard