Backdrop:

Human behavior is often considered unpredictable. Why people behave the way they do has been a subject of research in human psychology for long and given rise to several theories. One such theory has been “The Transactional Analysis” by Eric Berne in 1950s where human behavior has been represented through the types of transaction one engages in with others. The theory offers an interesting explanation to human behavior and remains relevant in current context as well and defines the pattern of personality of an individual.

Two Important Facets of Transactional Analysis:

• 1) Ego state or Parent-Adult-Child (PAC) Model: The theory postulates that an individual in a transaction with others can operate predominantly from either of the three (3) ego states:

1. Parent ego state: The state of personality that follows parental attitude towards others. This includes domination, order, being critical, among others.
2. Adult ego state: The transaction from this ego is from a rational mindset without any bias.
3. Child ego state: This represents the behavior of a child and therefore, transactions involve fear, delight, screaming, awe, etc.

The fundamental premise being that for any human transaction to be meaningful, sound and complementary, it should be from adult ego state of one individual to the same ego state of the other.

• 2) Life Positions: The theory postulates that in any human transaction, an individual can operate from either of the following four (4) belief systems about himself / herself and others:

1. I am OK, you are NOT OK: A negative / wrong belief of others / world at large while having a self-esteem about himself / herself.
2. I am NOT OK, you are OK: A negative / low feeling about oneself while thinking that the other person is sound and therefore, can overpower him / her.
3. I am NOT OK, you are NOT OK: Worst possible life position having lack of belief in oneself as well as others.
4. I am OK, you are OK: Ideal life position as one is feeling good about himself / herself as well as others.

The above discussion, therefore, means that for any human transaction to be meaningful, life positions of both individuals should be the best suited one (I am OK, you are OK). Otherwise, there is possibility of breakdown of communication.

Applicability for Senior Citizens:

The above framework of the Transactional Analysis Theory by Eric Berne is extremely important from perspective of an elderly as well as his / her family members / others.

As stated in various literature, “happy aging” is crucial for an elderly and for that we need to create a conducive social ambience. Besides physical fitness and mental agility, social connectedness is the crucial contributing factor in this process of happy aging and therefore, human transactions become crucial. These transactions can take place at various levels: with family members, friends, colleagues, etc. For these transactions to be meaningful / fruitful, The Transaction Analysis Theory offers a good framework.

These can be summarized as under:

• Only operate from adult ego state and transact with adult ego state of the other person. That will be only complimentary transaction; any other transaction like from parent to adult or parent to child ego, etc. will lead to “cross transactions” and create disharmony. This calls for maturity in approach and communication. Before communicating, we, therefore, need to understand & decode mental make-up of the other person and see from his / her angle. This sense of empathy will lead to better communication and improved social relationship.

• Conduct only from life position of I AM OK, YOU ARE OK which is the most acceptable one towards making any successful transaction. While it might be sometimes not possible at old age because of various factors beyond our control, efforts should always be made to operate from the ideal life position as otherwise, transactions are likely to be contaminated. One way to develop this life position is to make conscious efforts to develop a strong positive attitude of oneself as well as all others around us through a positive belief system. Hopefully this positive attitude will lead to developing this ideal life position over a period. Conscious efforts to develop listening skills in lieu of mere hearing skills might help in the process.

Conclusion:

Transactional Analysis provides a solid framework for understanding and interpreting interpersonal transactions. It enables us to understand “how to communicate” and “what to communicate”. The efforts as elderly should be to develop an acumen to communicate always from adult ego sate to the same ego of the other persons. Also, they should try to develop a positive attitude through positive belief system about themselves as well as others. That will make the transactions fruitful as well as productive.