2. TA Theory of Personality (Structural Analysis*)
Introduction
We are called upon to deal with people, events, happenings and occurrences on the one hand and situations, problems, difficulties, conditions, challenges and conflicts on the other. We are also called upon to deal with urges, drives and impulses; incessant mind talk; thinking, feeling and emotional logjams; confusion, indecision, struggle and mental conflicts; and hurt relationships. It is an uphill task to find sane, safe, effective and appropriate solutions. A healthy and well structured personality helps us in achieving this.
Personality is an intra-psychic mechanism which gets activated in response to real or imagined internal and external stimuli. The structural elements of personality are called ego states. Ego states are stored units of assimilated experiences. Activated ego states structure perception, evaluation, assessment and response (P-E-A-R) to stimuli.
Berne's theory of personality brought a major shift in viewing mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Berne proved that these occur because of anomalies in personality structure and function.
Ego States
Ego state is defined as a consistent pattern of thinking (T) and feeling (F) manifesting as corresponding consistent pattern of behaviour (B). Ego states are also defined as systems of thought and feeling manifesting as corresponding patterns of behaviour.
There are three varieties / types / categories of ego states. They are extero-psychic (Parent), neo-psychic (Adult) and archeo-psychic (Child) ego states. Parent, Adult and Child are first letter capitalised to distinguish them from persons. They are collective nouns, and therefore though used in singular, they represent a class of similar ego states. Capitalised letters P, A and C are also used to represent Parent, Adult and Child.
Parent ego states are patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour that are learnt / borrowed / copied from own parents and parental figures. Parent ego states are historical and sourced from others. Activated Patent manifests as related perception, evaluation, assessment and response.
Adult ego states are patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour that correspond to here and now reality. Adult ego states are contemporary and self sourced. Activated Adult manifests as mature, well thought and balanced response matching an objective perception, evaluation, assessment.
Child ego states are childlike patterns of thinking feeling and behaviour. Child ego states are historical and are based on stored experiences of one's own childhood. Activated Child manifests as childlike thinking, feeling and behaviour based on childlike perception, evaluation, assessment of reality.
Ego states are not imagined ideas or theoretical constructs. They represent real people with social identity and a postal address. Three qualities validate the existence of ego states. They stand to tests based on empiricism, phenomenology and behaviourism.
Structure and Function - Two methods of viewing personality
Personality is pictured and presented in two ways. Structural models are used to represent how personality is structured across three epochs of life - infancy, childhood and adulthood. They picture the dominant manner of perception, evaluation, assessment and attitude. Functional models are used to present descriptive aspects of personality. They picture how personality manifests as behaviour.
Structure of Personality
A Parent-Adult-Child (PAC) diagram is used to represent personality. It is called that PAC model of personality. It is constructed by stacking three identical circles one on top of another and named Parent, Adult and Child from top to bottom. The diagram represents personality when it is enveloped by a sheath.
Structural Models of Personality
Three structural models are used to picture personality across the three epochs of life. They are called First Order, Second Order and Third Order models of personality. In the First Order Model ego states are shown as PAC without sub-scripted marking or as P2, A2 and C2. In the Second Order Model childhood ego states in Child are marked and identified as P1, A1 and C1 and nested within the Child ego state C / C2 and the same in Parent (denoting the P-A-C of Parent) are marked and identified as P3, A3 and C3 and nested within Parent ego state P / P2. In the Third Order Model infancy ego states are nested within the Child in Child - C1. They are marked and identified as P0, A0 and C0.
Diagrams showing ego states of the First, Second and Third Order Models are given below.
First Order, Second Order and Third Order Structural Diagrams are shown below.
Personality Activation
As many as seven personality structures can get activated in response to internal and external stimuli generating a variety of thinking, feeling and behaviour combinations. These result in related perception, evaluation, assessment and responses. A diagram portraying these seven personality structures is given below.
Functional Model of Personality
Functional model is used to picture personality incorporating the descriptive aspects of Parent and Child ego states. Parent manifests as Controlling Parent (CP) and Nurturing Parent (NP). Child manifests as Adapted Child (AC) and Free Child (FC).
The Controlling Parent may manifest as life promoting Controlling Patent or a threatening Critical or Persecuting Parent. Nurturing Parent may manifest as a growth promoting Nurturing Parent or a growth denying Rescuing Parent. Adapted Child may manifest as Compliant Child or Rebellious Child and Free Child may manifest as Free Child or Natural Child. Natural Child is an early aspect of the Free Child.
Psychopathology
Pathology represents reaction to pain. Psycho-pathology concerns the study of the origin, development and manifestation of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Psycho-pathology helps to explain coping difficulties and conditions such as neuroses and psychoses. This topic is covered under two heads structural and functional pathology.
Structural Pathology
The Adult ego state in a healthy person is free of influence of either Parent or Child ego states. It deals with stimuli with Parent and Child support in healthy individuals. However, when either Parent or Child or both influence the functioning of Adult pathology results.
Three types of structural pathology are presented. They are contamination, exclusion and constancy. Contaminations cause paranoia and delusion. Confusion, indecision, struggle and conflict are milder versions resulting from contaminations. Extreme cases are those of schizophrenia. Exclusions result in thinking disorders. Constancy results in two ego states being decommissioned and person operates from one ego state. These conditions are explained in diagrams appearing below.
Functional Pathology
Release of 'cathexis' (psychic energy) activates ego states. Functional Pathology results from cathexis being too thick or too free flowing. In the first case the person is very slow in responding or takes time or is unresponsive. In the second case the person is like quick silver frequently sulfating moods, temperament or responsiveness. Functional Pathology also occurs because pores in the boundary maybe densely packed or far apart. In another condition their size may be small, medium or large. This affects the ability of free cathexis to flow from one from ego state to the adjoining ego state.
Egograms
An ego-gram is a bar-graph diagram which shows the relative strength of functional ego states of an individual.
An egogram is constructed using functional ego states. It is constructed on the basis of intuited views and thought-felt material. The functional ego states are: CP = Critical Parent - one that criticises or finds fault; NP = Nurturing Parent - one that nurtures and promotes growth; A = Adult - stands for logic and precision; FC = Free Child - represents fun and being frivolous; AC = Adapted Child - a Child that conforms and compromises;
A sample egogram is shown here:
Egograms are drawn inuitively drawing the highest column first, followed by the lowest column in comparison to the highest column. The other three columns may be drawn in the same way - first the highest of the three, then the lowest of the three and last the fifth one. Egograms are useful to log / monitor one's attitudinal change over time.
Structural Analysis
The TA Theory of Personality is traditionally covered under the heading Structural Analysis.
Structural Analysis concerns itself with the resolution of internal conflicts through diagnosis of ego states, decontamination, boundary work and stabilisation so that the Adult can remain in the executive in stressful situations. The process of structural analysis results in clarification. Clarification enables the person to experience own feelings and thoughts that originate in Parent and Child and the manner in which they influence the person's perception, evaluation, assessment and responses to stimuli.
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