What is Transactional Analysis?

The utterance of the words Transactional Analysis conjures images of a pale scientist in some dark lab. The concept is user friendly though. Just think PAC without the MAN. PAC is an acronym that stands for parent, adult, and child. The PAC acronym is a very important concept to know for understanding what Transactional Analysis is all about. Eric Berne, M.D., is the founder of Transactional Analysis, and he likely integrated other resources from others, including Sigmund Freud. 

The information provided is taken from a chapter of my book, "Life Lessons of a Broken Child."

The chapter begins on page 19.

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Eric Berne’s groundbreaking work helped shape how people’s social interactions could be understood better. Transactional Analysis postulates that each one of us has a parent, adult, and child inside of us that largely influences our thoughts and choices in life. In 1964, Eric Berne wrote a great book about Transactional Analysis titled, “Games People Play.” The book talks about, you guessed it, games people play. These games are not fun games, like hide and seek, but are harmful games that hinder people from getting close. 

From my understanding, the term “warm fuzzies” was derived from a kid’s book version of Transactional Analysis. There were a whole series of Transactional Analysis books that included versions for tots, for teens, and for couples. Transactional Analysis was hugely popular in the 1970’s. 

When thinking of Transactional Analysis (TA), try to visualize PAC. Transactional Analysis refers to PAC as three distinct ego states. 

Parent~ Adult~ Child (PAC) 

P 

The “Parent” is a sum total of what we have learned from others when we were kids, especially caretakers, teachers, etc. This has a big impact on how we view others and the world around us since most of this has been integrated within us through learned behavior that has been taught to us in some regard. 

A

 The “Adult” in the Transactional Analysis is important, because the “Adult” is the kind, and objective coach, who plays mediator for two forces between the parent and child within us, who most of the time, are at opposite ends of the teeter totter. The purpose of the Adult state is to examine and question thoughts and feelings from both the child and the parent part of us and to form an educated conclusion. In essence, it is to be a critical thinker. 

C 

Our personality lives in the “Child,” and deals with emotions, so this piece is important. If you find a joke funny and you start to laugh uncontrollably, most likely this is the child part of us letting go and having fun. 

Parent~ Adult~ Child (PAC) 

Picture the parent, adult and child, as big stores inside your brain's mega mall. Malls are on the endangered species list, but that’s another story. The cheese in the Wisconsin water has bolstered my creativity, so I will use the terms parent store, adult store, and child store, when referring to the individual components of the PAC. 

The parent store has two departments:

The nurturing parent and the critical parent. The nurturing parent and the critical feedback come from many sources: our mother/fathers, educators, relatives, etc. As children, we generally want to please these folks, and will conform to gain approval. In essence, children adapt, to not be cast out. 

The adult store:

The adult component is a function all on its own, and is vital to the overall operations of both the Child ego state and the Parent ego state. It makes decisions based on facts and is influenced by both the Parent and Child ego state. The purpose of the Adult state is to examine and question thoughts and feelings from both the Child and Parent ego states and form an educated conclusion. In essence, it is to be a critical thinker. 

The child store has two departments:

The child part of the PAC model has two main components: the free child and the adapted child. The free child is the mountain spring source of our creativity, spontaneity, and personality. To obtain conditional approval from others, kids learn to adapt. Problems may surface later in life, when the free child is buried deep, and screaming to be set free. The free child does not like the perpetually critical parent, but will comply, albeit grudgingly. 

As we grow older, the experience is a series of internal, cerebral conflicts, between the screaming, free child, and the always critical parent. A great example of this conflict is a person who is passive aggressive. On the surface, the adapted child is complying, but the screaming, free child, exacts revenge in the end. This could be in the form of something like giving someone the silent treatment or continually putting off responsibilities. 

The adult intervenes by taking inventory of both the Child and Parent ego states so that the Parent component can make a more conscious, balanced decision, independently. At all times, the Adult ego state has the child’s best interest.

The Adult balances discipline and direction, with freedom for our kid to be a free child. As we grow older, and move through life’s trials and tribulations, many of our contemporaries may lose some pizzazz, like they are missing pieces of their personality.

It is likely their free child is buried, screaming for rescue.

Recommended Reading: Homecoming by John Bradshaw