Models of the Mind

Transactional Analysis

Transactional Analysis is one of the most accessible theories of modern psychology and that is probably why we find it so useful. It doesn't create a whole new vocabulary which only those with years of training can understand. It describes what happens between people in straightforward and easily understood language. Transactional Analysis was founded by Eric Berne, and the famous 'parent adult child' theory is still being developed today.

Parent, Adult and Child

Transactional analysis looks at interactions between people based on a theory that all of us contain the potential to interact with the world from one of three states: Parent, Adult or Child.

Parent

Parent is our ingrained voice of authority, absorbed conditioning, learning and attitudes from when we were young. We were conditioned by our real parents, teachers, older people, next door neighbors, aunts and uncles, Father Christmas and Jack Frost. Our Parent is made up of a huge number of hidden and overt recorded playbacks. Typically embodied by phrases and attitudes starting with 'how to', 'under no circumstances', 'always' and 'never forget', 'don't lie, cheat, steal', etc, etc. Our parent is formed by external events and influences upon us as we grow through early childhood. We can change it, but this is easier said than done. We like the book Self and Society by George Herbert Meade from the turn of the century for its detailed description of how every child develops this aspect of the self.

Here are some clues that you are acting from your "parent":

Physical - angry or impatient body-language and expressions, finger-pointing, patronizing gestures.

Verbal - always, never, for once and for all, judgmental words, critical words, patronizing language, posturing language.

Child

Our internal reaction and feelings to external events form the 'Child'. This is the seeing, hearing, feeling, and emotional body of data within each of us. When anger or despair dominates reason, the Child is in control. Like our Parent we can change it, but it is no easier.

These experiences suggest that you might be acting from your "child."

Physical - emotionally sad expressions, despair, temper tantrums, whining voice, rolling eyes, shrugging shoulders, teasing, delight, laughter, speaking behind hand, raising hand to speak, squirming and giggling.

Verbal - baby talk, I wish, I dunno, I want, I'm gonna, I don't care, oh no, not again, things never go right for me, worst day of my life, bigger, biggest, best, many superlatives, words to impress.

Adult

Our 'Adult' is our ability to think and determine action for ourselves, based on received data. The adult in us begins to form at around ten months old, and is the means by which we keep our Parent and Child under control. If we are to change our Parent or Child we must do so through our adult.

Here are some ways that you might experience the "adult" state.

Physical - attentive, interested, straight-forward, tilted head, non-threatening and non-threatened.

Verbal - why, what, how, who, where and when, how much, in what way, comparative expressions, reasoned statements, true, false, probably, possibly, I think, I realize, I see, I believe, in my opinion.

The Current Model

Significantly, the original three Parent Adult Child components were sub-divided to form a new seven element model, principally during the 1980's by Wagner, Joines and Mountain. This established Controlling and Nurturing aspects of the Parent mode, each with positive and negative aspects, and the Adapted and Free aspects of the Child mode, again each with positive an negative aspects, which essentially gives us the model to which most TA practitioners refer today:

Parent is now commonly represented as a circle with four quadrants:

Nurturing - Nurturing (positive) and Spoiling (negative).
Controlling - Structuring (positive) and Critical (negative).

Adult remains as a single entity, representing an 'accounting' function or mode, which can draw on the resources of both Parent and Child.

Child is now commonly represented as circle with four quadrants:

Adapted - Co-operative (positive) and Compliant/Resistant (negative).
Free - Spontaneous (positive) and Immature (negative).