TA in Pills - 1-1.2 - What is Transactional Analysis 2

What is Transactional Analysis

Transactional Analysis is a social psychology. Its practitioners use it in many areas and in many ways. It is an empowering tool for achieving personal growth, personal development, personal effectiveness and personal transformation. It helps us to have a robust, effective, influential personality. It helps us to put our life on a success path.

TA theory of Personality: Personality is modeled in Transactional Analysis using psychic entities called ego states as building blocks. There are three broad categories of ego states. The basis of their classification is:

> The way they generate perception, evaluation, assessment and response;

> The way they manifest as patterns of thinking, feeling, behaviour and attitude;

> Their source and historical epoch;

The three categories of ego states are Parent (externally sourced), Child (archaic ego states from one’s own childhood) and Adult (contemporary) ego states.

Parent ego states resemble patterns of thinking, feeling, attitude and behaviour resembling our parents and parent figures. These show up when we are controlling, helping or guiding others.

Adult ego states resemble patterns of thinking, feeling, attitude and behaviour that is thought occupied, mature, objective and practical.

Child ego states resemble patterns of thinking, feeling, attitude and behaviour that are childlike, feeling loaded, characterised by being extreme (good-bad, acceptable-denied) and lacking shades of grey.

They together structure a response to internal and external stimuli.

TA theory of Personality Development: The term Personality Development is usually used to represent the process by which we have come to acquire the personality we possess today. Personality Development is also an activity. It helps to replace the non functional and unhealthy components of personality by healthy components. A healthy personality empowers us to deal with matters concerning our life effectively.

TA Proper - A theory of Human Interactions: It is only a matter of time before two or more people who come into contact say something to each other. Each interaction consists of a transactional stimulus and a related transactional response. These two together constitute a transaction. Transactions are units of social intercourse (interactions). By studying the transactions we get to know how our personality is structured.

Game Theory - a theory of unhealthy interactional patterns: Unhealthy interactions generate painful or hurting hurting patterns. Outcomes of interactions in such relationships lead to gossiping, broken relationships or physical or mental harm or turmoil. People tend to engage in repeating patterns of unhealthy interactions when connected in these unhealthy relationships.

Racket Theory - a theory that tells us how we generate and intensify emotions and feelings. It presents the ways in which people act, speak, express and behave to attract unfavourable attention. Then it goes on to tell how we intensify unhealthy feelings. These are feelings of dislike, hatred and resentment; guilt, hurt, pain, loneliness and depression; anxiety and distress; and many others.

Script Theory - a theory of life plans: The way life of many people progresses is structured and directed to achieve a predetermined goal. This goal is called script payoff. Script payoff represents whether a person will live a successful and rewarding life, or a life marked by losses and failures as person, in relationships and also in terms of physical and mental hurt. Script is a self authored life plan, based on childhood decisions. The person plays a role in the childhood story or fairy tale and the chosen story or fairy tale becomes the environment in which the person lives his life. This may sound queer. As yet it is true for many of us.

This blog comes from Ajit Karve from Pune. I am a qualified TA Practitioner. I specialize in using TA for personal growth, personal development, personal effectiveness and for transformational change. I can be reached on +919822024037. Please feel free to seek clarifications by writing to me on ajitpkarve@gmail.com or taforyouandme@gmail.com. A request: Please take time out to write a comment. 

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