transactional analysis (TA)

Definition

Group psychotherapy technique in which games are used to expose childish, manipulative behavior toward life and people—to work toward achieving mature and constructive attitudes. Proposed by the Canadian psychologist Eric Berne (1910-70) in his 1964 book 'Games People Play.' According to him, people are able to act in three different ways—as their parent, as their adult, and as their child—and the purpose of TA is to help the “adult ego maintain hegemony over the impulsive child.” Not to be confused with transaction analysis.