What are Ego States?
Ego States refer to the different aspects of an individual’s personality that influence their behaviour and interactions.
Berne described three states:
Parent state: Learnt behaviour from internalised input. Parent has the Critical Parent and the Nurturing Parent.
Adult state: Rational thoughts
Child state: Feeling and emotions. Divided into the Free Child and the Adaptive Child
What are Transactions between ego states?
Transactions are the communications and interactions that occur between different ego states.
A healthy parent flits between the different states; the process of being stuck in one state or excluding any states is when we have issues arise.
You can tell where someone is by their posture, language and more. eg in critical parent you may say ‘You should’ or wag your finger etc. You may be nurturing parent if you offer to cook them dinner etc. They are all places we can use as counsellors. Free child is a place of joy and creativity, the Adaptive Child has been shaped by responding to parent voices eg needing to please
What influenced the development of Transactional Analysis?
Transactional Analysis was influenced by different threads of theory, including psychodynamic principles.
Who did Eric Berne study under?
Eric Berne studied under Erikson. Berne wrote ‘The Games People Play’
What was Wilder Penfield’s contribution to Transactional Analysis?
Wilder Penfield was a neurologist whose ideas contributed to identifying language and behavior in Transactional Analysis.
He suggested for example, that some sensations take us back to the past eg smell
What is the primary focus of Transactional Analysis?
The primary focus of Transactional Analysis is to offer individuals a choice to change their behavior.
What two types of ideas does Transactional Analysis combine?
Transactional Analysis combines cognitive and behavioral ideas.
What did Eric Berne emphasize in his approach to psychotherapy?
Eric Berne emphasized egalitarianism and democratising psychotherapy.
What is the significance of ‘I’m OK You’re OK’?
‘I’m OK You’re OK’ is a best-selling book by Eric Berne published in 1972. It remained a bestseller for two years and is still in print.
What is the full title of Eric Berne’s work that discusses human behavior?
The full title is ‘Transactional Analysis’.
What is another notable work by Eric Berne?
‘The Games People Play’.
When was Eric Berne born and when did he die?
Eric Berne was born on May 10, 1910, and died on July 15, 1970.
What was Eric Berne’s profession?
Eric Berne was a psychiatrist.
What theory did Eric Berne create in the mid-20th century?
Eric Berne created the theory of Transactional Analysis.
Fill in the blank: Transactional Analysis is a way of explaining _______.
human behavior
