TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS BULLETIN
Supplement #1
OUTLINE FOR AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE IN TRANSACTIONAL
ANALYSIS AND SOCIAL DYNAMICS
By Erie Berne, M.D.
with the assistance of the Directors and Members of
The San Francisco Social Psychiatry Seminars
Published by
Transactional Analysis Bulletin
P.O. Box 5747
Carmel, California
Copyright 1962 by the San Franci,sco Social Psychiatry
Seminars, Int.
I. "i, . , .'. ~ ,,'"''' ''' '.
FOREWORD
This outline is baaed .- s·even years of teaching transac-t')n
tional analysis and social dynamics, particularly Course 101 of
the Seminar Curriculum, which has been taught two or three times
a year for the past five years. The students have been drawn
from the following professions: psychiatry, psychology, psy-
chiatric social work; psychiatric nursing, education, sociology,
criminology (parole and probation) and pastoral counselling.
Similar courses have been given to psychiatric residents at
Langley-Porter Clinic, Stanford-Palo Alto Hospital, Mount Zion
Hospital, and to the staffs of various state hospitals and cor
rectional institutions in California~ The responses of about
500 students have gradually indicated how to ,present the · intro
ductory material most productive"ly"_
Thanks are due to the following for sharing with the author
what they have learned dur:-ing their teaching experiences: Dr .•
George Bach (Pepperdine College), Mrs. Iva Blank {California
Institution for , Women) , Mr. Wil:J.iam Collins (Soledad .Correc
tional Facility), Mr. Joseph Concannon (U.S. Naval Hospital,
Oakland), Dr. Franklin Ernst (California Medical Facility, Men
docino, Dewitt, and Stockton State Hospitals), Dr. Kenneth
Everts (Pacific School of Religion & Contra Costa County Mental
Health Program), Dr. Howard Fradkin (San Francisco State Col~
lege), Dr. Robert Goulding (Roseburg VA Hospital), Mr. Paul
McCormick (Alameda County Probation Department), Miss Barbara
Rosenfeld (SFSPS), Dr. R.J. Starrels (SFSPS).
2
SUGGESTIONS
Most of the material in this curriculum is covered in the
basic text, Transactional Analysis in P~ychotherapy (Grove
Press, New York, i961). There are some items, howeverj for
which no printed material is yet available. Lecture 5, Struc
ture and Dynamics of Groups; will be possible only for those
who have attended the Seminars regularly; since the material
up to this time has been entirely oral. Similarly with some
of the details about games in Lecture 3.. These strictUres will
be remedied with the forthcoming publication by Lippincott of
The Therapy of Ailing Groups, and by Grove Press of Games
People Play. Both these books should be available by late
1962 or early 1963.
(1) The course is planned for eight lectures of two
hours each, but the material is organized so that it can be
adequately presented in each case in forty-five minutes if
necessary, leaving 15 minutes for discussion ,at a one hour
series • . The more leisurely presentation is preferable, how
ever, leaving ample time for questions. This gives the
audience a chance to reorient themselves from conventional,
usually psychoanalytic, ways of thinking.
(2) If the number of lectures has to be cut, it is pre
ferable to omit certain topics altogether and concentrate on
absorption of the elementary principles rather than attempting
to cram everything into less time. The first four lectures will
serve for a briefer course with graduate students, and these
can be split into eight one hour lectures for instruction at the
undergraduate level. Lectures 1,2,3,4, and 7 can also'j,~e adapted
for one or two day workshops. The theoretical material is
well suited to programming teaching machines.
(3) It is not easy for the student to get a useful
grasp of the system from lectures alone, and he should be
advised to have the text available.
3
(4) The instructor should make free use of the bladk
board, and if the coutse is repeated he ~ay want to construct
other visuai aids.
(5) Each point shoUld be adeqtia~ely illustrated by clini~
cal material offered sometimes befo~e and sometimes afte~ the ~
point is made. The fresher and more recent the examples~ the
more spontaneously they will be presented and the more they
will impress the audience. The examples should be simple, con
cise, convincing, and shorn of irrelevancies, The instructor
should not be chary with colloquialisms, as this is a collo
quial system, and he should avoid words of more than two syl
lables wherever possible. He should be talking to the Child
in his listeners as much as to the Adult.
(6) It should be remembered that this is an Introductory
Course in Transactional Analysis, which is not the place for
comparing irrelevant experiences or carrying on polemics. The
instructor is offering a great deal of specific information
in a relatively short time. Discussion not directly related
to learning the basic principles should be postponed until an
advanced seminar can be activated, or until the social hour
after the meeting. It has been found more productive and in
viting to handle this as a formal teaching assignment rather
than as a basis for discussion groups.
Lecture 1.
Lecture 2.
Lecture 3.
Lecture 4.
Lecture 5.
Lecture 6.
Lecture 7.
Lecture 8.
THE CURRICQLUM
Personality Structure
The Dynamics of Personality
Multip+e Ego States
Social Dynamics
Structure and Dynamics of Groups
4
Tape Recording (Applied transactional analysis)
Group Therapy
Clinical Application and Advanced Theory
BIBnk lined pages are interleaved so that the instructor
can make memos of clinical illustrations from his own ex
perience. In addition to the text, he should be familiar
with pertinent material that has appeared in the Transactional
Analysis Bulletin.
Abbreviations
A
A-A
C
Adult
Adult to Adult, etc.
Child
GA Game analysis
P Parent
SA Structural analysis
TA Transactional analysis
Ego ,States
Le ~ture 1
PERSONALITY STRUCTURE
5
Clinical Illustrations: Inconsistent systems of feeling &
behavior
Repertoire:
A Natural Classification:
Three types, with diagram
(a) Penfield 11-~()
(b) Sensory deprivation gj; ~~~
Natural order downward: Progressive effects of alcohol
~ Transactions: ,
Complementary:
Crossed:
Stimulus & response, unit of social action
A-A Work: "Pass the hammer."
P-P Judgmental: Ain't It Awful
C-C Play: sex, delinquencies, break windows
P-C Taking care: sick husband
COP'o/~rse : ( '"~ sick wife
If P-C won't give way to C-P when appro
priate, or if switches when inappropriate
(P-C in courtship to C-P after marriage),
trouble ensues.
"Where are my cuff links?" "Don't shout."
A-A
Transference:
(Type I)
Countertrans:
P-C
A-A "It's a fact."
c-p "Don't criticize me."
A-A "What does that mean?"
(Type II) P-C "Don't ask questions."
Rule of communicctiop; · rr vectors cross, communication broken.
C()nver~e: If 'comrnuni~ation broken, look for cross.
6
Lecture 2
THE DYNAMICS OF PERSONALITY
Diagnosis± Attitude
~. , ~~.(/6 Gestures
Voicet each person two or three voices
Vocabulary: Examples PAC
Those all behavioral
In addition: Historical
Social
Subjective or phenomenological . ..
Organs:? v exteropsyche, neopsyche, archaeopsyche ~~ (,, - 7t1 • . /' .;J
Characteris-i , Executive -- behavioral ,ry.j.o f4'1~'::::'~. tic s : . - - , / - -"'7
L,Adaptive social, influenced by sittation ~~ ..t..o s~
j , Fluidity -- h(stqi::Lfar;m~ified by past ~ ;::::: , liA4.1~~~ 4-'LQ.. C; e...~ 1-c. ~~ --t;. . s
'I. Mentality -- each can be experienced if _. "1. ~ ~l~~ '1 ~y~c..e- -
.-
Self distinguished from Executive: Compulsion neurosis
Inner dialogue: "You shouldn' t 'h.~e·"Parental
Cathexis: J-t ":11
'ID (Monkey
4/ on tree) _v
"I shouldn't have" Adult ~~
Bound: Latent ego state {Potential) '" ~/A.~ Unbound: Active ego state (Kinetic) ~--~~
Free: Ego state of "Self" ( Volitional) ~ Free+Unbound=:A ctive
Executive with most "Active" ego state
Self with "Free" ego state. Both usually coincide.
liecture 3 7
MULTIPLE EGO STATES
Contamination -- Structure of a delusion
Clarify & strengthen boundaries, delusion becomes strange idea
In three dimensions, peel off Child and Adult becomes larger
Q1terior Transactions
Angular or,(alesman: "That one's too expensive."
Profe ssiona.1:\ Customer: "I'll take that one."
A-A (A-C)
C-A
Duplex Cowboy: "Let's look at the barn." A-A (C-C)
Summer girl: "I've loved barns since childhood .. "
Social Level: A-A, Architecture. Psychological: C-C, Sex play
Other duplexes, A-A and P-C lead into YDYB: "You can't advise me.!"
Games Definition: Ulterior series with moves and payoff
Degrees: Socially acceptable - Rapo 1 "Thank you, Sir." \ \' - \~ '/ More in secret - Rapo 2 "Buzz off, Buster"
Death or court-room - Rapo 3 "Police!"
Marital types: If It Weren't For You exposes advantages
Others: Uproar, typically father and daughter
You'll Have To Take Me As I Am, wins
both ways
Classification: Number of hands, Zonal, Nosological,
Counters, Sociological, Position
Advantages: Psychological: Internal - Psychoanalytic.
ij.oundup
Social:
Biological!
Exi~tential:
External - avoids what?
Internal - the game.
External - derivative pastime
Form of stroking?
What position confirmed?
General description of Alcoholid
l ,ecture 4
Time Structurirtp : ~ensory huneer: 33-
deprivation
8
" Emotion~l hunger: Spitz, stroking saves life
yCf.fRe cognition hunger.: symbolic stroking ~
P1" Structure hunp-cr; 8 ... Leadership hunger
i10des ~ experiments show only 6 options for people in room
/ , ~ithdrawal: £xtraneous fantasies - playing hooky "
Autistic transaction, unadapted - violence
Autistic transactions, adapted - inhibited
1,. Rituals:
3. Acti vi ty:
Pastimes:
,-
unit is a Stroke ft.1' P1
A-A complementary
semi-ritua.ls. j\':ay
I~i~lJltiple choice ~ sentence completion
~ Games: ~dividu?l . programming, more self-expression/ ~I . Sf; -~l Intimacy: ' game-free, priva.cy, scary! Gal1les are
compromise
Religious experience: ?
I~-Internal Programmin~: Based on history of individual
Decision: Girl with alcoholic father
Position: Simple predicative absolute
Function of Games: Prove position. Compromise with intimacy.
Advance script~
Social selection: Rituals .- Pastimes - Game players
~arriage Choice: find complementarY script amone game players
Group Imago: Selections based on private perception of group
J
Le.cture 5
STRUCTURE AND DYNA~ICS OF GROUPS
Purpose: Group Therapy, Therapy of Ailing Groups
Leadership & Membership
Classification: Social & Dis-social aegregations
I\'~ass - main street .- random -Crowd - .commoninterest - streaming to game
Party- external boundary - meet condition
GrouE: External &. at least one internal boundary
nOrganization": arbit.rary as boundaries multiply
(Don't discuss \\fithout real people and .Location Diagram)
1i2undari~: physical & classes of people
Structural Diaaram:: . ~<ajor and r·~.inor
9
SimE..~·: Two classes, one only leader - therapy group ,~ , - .. ~
Public:
Compound: hierarchy, minor boundaries in L~.lor M~-
9omple!: federation, sub-groups with sub-leaders
Complicated: hospital with many authorities
Orga!1!.za.tional: Orr. . Chart: Roles (as should be)
Individual: Roster: Personas (as ""ants to be)
Private! Group imagos! Personalities (as really is)
Dynamics Diagram: at boundaries
Process+Acti vi t~v:ork
Process: External: Pressure vs. cohesion (Co~bat)
Organs:
Major Internal: Agitation vs. cohesion (Process)
l\r}inor Interna~: Proclivity vs. proclivity (Intrigue)
Extern~ Apparatu2: Preventive (diplomatic) & Combat
Internal Apparatus: Preventive (morale) & Police j etc.
Lectu~a 5 (Second P~ge} .
Leaders: Lffective ·(real boss)
Resp6nsible (front ~an)
Psychological (symbolic)
~xecutives, delegates
and sub-leaders
Measures: Degree of organization: Roles/Slots
Unde~~ elassroom, steno pool
10
Completely: operating room, football team
Efficiency: use of manpower available
M.anningRati.2,: Roster (people) /iI,1anning Table (slots)
Effectiveness: total work turned out
Degree of Differentiation: Slots (in Imago)/People
Morale: determines operationa~ strength of cohesion
Rule: Imago ope;t6ati ve when leader gi ves signal
11 u tJ~.9J;·_ ~ t y D i ae:~r am :
Historical: Primal leaders & euhemeri~ regression under stress
Personal: Living leadership
Cultural: Canon - constitution & culture from primal leaders
Organizational: Member complies up through hierarchy
pulture: Material or Technical: artifacts and procedures
Etiquette:. social conttact re personas
Character: exceptions to contract; rudeness & insult
Six Basic Diagr~ms for Ailing Groups
Location or seating
Structural: from pertinent viewpoint , ..
Dynamics: state and potentialities
Authbrity: fantasies 'of desired compliances
Imago~ garh~S and 6ther engagemeht~
T±'ans~td'tltjflS.1 t td p1h poiht diffictiit!~s
11
Lecture 6
TAPE REGORDING
This should be a pertinent tape recording, if available~
showing appl~cation of TA to field of listeners.
If none, ' prot~ed to Lecture 6A
Lecture 6A
ApPLIED TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS
A clinical or 'practical lecture illustrating the applica
tion of all that has gone before to field of listeners. E.g:
(1) Individual Contract with patient
therapists: Psychiatric games
Institutional g9.mes
(2) Correctional Contract with administration
officers: Organizational aspect (Legal)
Professional aspect
Individual approach
Contract with client
Duties as appar~tus
Dtiti~s as therapi~t
Common gamas and situations
(Clinical)
(Theoreticai)
(Legal) .
(Cl:tnical)
()) ~~~se$: Sa~e as individtlal thetapi~ts ahd
correcti6nal officers with changes
as indicated
(4) Group Therapists: See Lecture 7
\
"
Lecture 7 12
GROUP THERAPY
Contract: Clear statement of aims and criteria of~ improvement
To administration
To patient
To self
Patient's licence
Therapist's obligation
Self-calibration of therapist: What will my
Adult? be doing in this group
Parent? " /
Child? "
Therapeutic Sequence: SA (and deconfusion)
Authority Diagram:
Selection
of Members:
TA (and diagnose crossed transactions)
GA (clarify position & decision, social
control)
Script (redecision)
Administrative responsibility
Institutional games
Fantasies of superiors
General group -- no selection promotes game
Confrontation
Special groups problems of shared game
Attendance: A quantative criterion of cohesion
Withdrawal: Frustrated game
Failures: Goal is 100% success. Every failure a challeng,e
Replacing games-: Patient finds better ones or attain int.imacy
13 Lecture 8
CLINICAL APPLICATION & ADVANCED THEORY
Psychoses: Attempt of C to fight off eidetic perceptions
and primal images: active, arrested, latent
Psychotic games -- Ain't It Awful in paranoia
Psychosis a communication & transaction
Neuroses:
Cure:
Shock compensates by installing Parent--latent
Contamination, compliance with P
Inner conflict, inner dialogue: a game
Simultaneous expression A & C, no inner communica
tion
Symptomatic control
Symptomatic cure: shift game
Transference cure: A of therapist replaces P of
patient
Analytic cure: deconfusion of C
Psychopathy: Without remorss: one P encourages, other permits
one P encourages, other forbids
Causes hangover with guilt racket
Second and third order
With remot'se:
Advanced Structural Analysis:
Historical "inheritance" of games, including psychoses
Programming ': Determinants ~ id, ego, superego
Organizers ~ organs influencing executive ego state
Phenomena & behavior integrate these -- examples:
Rational authority, P programmed A (British colonial)
Authoritarian,A programmed P(propaganda of dictator)
