TA teaches clients to determine which ego state is active at a given moment—in themselves and in others with whom they are trying to communicate. Transactions or communication patterns between people are the focus of TA. Some typical transactions are diagrammed on the facing page.
In (a) on the facing page, person 1 communicates in an Adult mode and receives an Adult response from person 2: "Where are you going?" "To the cleaner's."
In (b), a Parental boss receives a petulant response from the Child ego state of an employee: "What took you so long?" "My little boy is sick, and there's just too much work for one secretary."
In (c), an Adult-to-Adult message receives a Child-to-Parent reply; this is an example of crossed transaction. It is one of the most common sources of frustration and conflict in family and professional life. For example, a therapist says, "You seem to be late for your appointment today." (Adult-to-Adult, or A-A.) The client replies, "You're just like my father, always picking on me." (C-P.)
DIAGRAMS OF TYPICAL TRANSACTIONS
Diagram (d) illustrates communication that involves an ulterior message. For example, a psychologically clever salesman is showing hair driers to a woman. She tells him how much she is prepared to spend and then asks, "How much is that one?" The salesman (arrow 1 in the diagram) replies: "You wouldn't be able to afford that model." His response is based on his customer's stated budget limitations and appears to be Adult-to-Adult. However, the hidden message (dotted arrow [1) is directed to his customer's Child state, which, as he predicts, causes her to reply rebelliously (arrow 2), "That's the one I want."