Transactional Analysis and Games Theory

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Transactional Analysis and Games Theory

Maksimova Maria Behaviour in organisation

99132681 ORG-06

Contents

Introduction 3

Structural Analysis 4

Transactional Analysis 4

Types of Games 5

Situation 5

References 8

Bibliography 8

Introduction

Transactional analysis is described by the ITAA (International Transactional Analysis Association) as "a theory of personality and a systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and personal change". TA is a set of theories and techniques.

The broad timetable for development of TA concepts was:

955-1962 ego states

962-1966 transactions and games

966-1970 script analysis (Hay, p.2)

In general Berne's theory (1964) outlines the importance of social intercourse for people's time-structuring, which is vital from biological side - in order to stimulate human's brain for mental health; the most gratifying examples of these are games and intimacy. After the period of the close intimacy with the mother the individual for the rest of his life strives for its attainment - there are biological, social, psychological forces, which stand in the way of physical intimacy in the infant style. It is possible in a form of compromise, a person learns to do with more subtle, symbolic forms of handling. This process of compromise can be called sublimation, it results in transforming from the infantile stimulus-hunger to the recognition-hunger.

"Stroking" is used as a general term for intimate physical contact, in practice it can appear in different forms. An exchange of strokes constitutes a transaction, which is a unit of social action. Strokes are "units of recognition", they can be both positive and negative, conditional and unconditional. Strokes are given and received via the senses: hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell. Individuals and organisations develop characteristic patterns of stroking.

The eternal problem of the human being - how to structure his walking hours, hence structure-hunger appears. The operational aspect of time structuring is called programming, it can be material, social and individual. The most common method of structuring time is dealing with the material of external reality - work or in social psychiatric terms "activity". Examples of activities are studying, typing, attending meetings, negotiating, etc. It can be seen from this that work activities can provide psychological satisfactions as well as material benefits, by enabling people to structure their time in a productive way. This characteristic distinguishes activities from the other four types of time structuring sometimes engaged in at work.
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There are several options for structuring time - rituals, pastimes, games, intimacy, activity. The goal of each member of the aggregation is to obtain satisfaction (gains, advantages) from the transactions.

A ritual is a set of transactions which follow an agreed and semi-programmed course, which allows people to interact without intimacy - or more precisely with a predetermined degree of intimacy. The introduction ritual is a common example. Rituals supply security - while they are taking place the danger of uncharted waters is kept away.

Pastimes move relationships forward from rituals - they retain formulaic ...

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