This article examines one level of ego state theory: ego states as living links between past experiences and patterns in the here and now. If the theory of ego states is not limited to repetitive ego states, the concepts centered on repetition must be balanced by concepts centered on evolution. The idea of generalized representations of interactions, with its various consequences and links with transactional ideas, is examined as a way of understanding the evolution of ego states. This evolving character of ego states culminates in creativity and change. More generally, an idea such as ego states offers the practitioner a frame from which to choose interventions with less methodological or theoretical biases. Transactional analysis appears to be a particularly well-adapted starting point to answer the challenges of integration between methods and approaches in all fields.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllenJ. R. (2000). Biology and transactional analysis II: A status report on neurodevelopment. Transactional Analysis Journal. 30, 260–269.
2.
AllenJ. R.AllenB. A. (1972). Scripts: The role of permission. Transactional Analysis Journal, 2(2), 72–74.
3.
AllenJ. R.AllenB. A. (1997). A new type of transactional analysis and one version of script work with a constructionist sensibility. Transactional Analysis Journal, 27, 89–98.
4.
BerneE. (1963). The structure and dynamics of organizations and groupsNew York: Grove Press.
5.
BerneE. (1964). Games people play: The psychology of human relationships. New York: Penguin.
6.
BerneE. (1966). Group treatment. New York: Grove Press.
7.
BerneE. (1972). What do you say after you say hello?: The psychology of human destiny. London: Corgi.
8.
BerneE. (1975). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy: A systematic individual and social psychiatry. New York: Grove Press (first Evergreen Black Cat edition). (Original work published 1961).
9.
BerneE. (1977a). Ego states in psychotherapy. In BerneE., Intuition and ego states (McCormickP., Ed.) (pp. 121–144). San Francisco: TA Press. (Original work published 1957).
10.
BerneE. (1977b). Transactional analysis: A new and effective method of group therapy. In BerneE., Intuition and ego states (McCormickP., Ed.) (pp. 145–158). (Original work published 1958).
11.
ClarksonP. (1988). Scriptcure?–A diagnostic pentagon of types of therapeutic changes. Transactional Analysis Journal, 18, 211–219.
12.
ClarksonP.FishS. (1988). Rechilding: Creating a new past in the present as a support for the future. Transactional Analysis Journal. 18, 51–59.
13.
ClarksonP.GilbertM. (1988). Berne's original model of ego states: Some theoretical considerations. Transactional Analysis Journal, 18, 20–29.
CornellW. (1988). Life script theory: A critical review from a developmental perspective. Transactional Analysis Journal, 18, 270–282.
16.
CornellW.OlioK. (1992). Consequences of childhood bodily abuse: A clinical model for affective interventions. Transactional Analysis Journal, 22, 131–143.
17.
DiltsR. (1995). Strategies of genius. Capitola, CA: Meta-Publications.
18.
DolleJ. M. (1999). Pour comprendre Jean Piaget [Understanding jean Piaget]. Paris: DUNOD.
ErskineR. G. (1991). Transference and transactions: Critique from an intrapsychic and integrative perspective. Transactional Analysis Journal, 21, 63–76.
22.
ErskineR. G. (1994). Shame and self-righteousness: Transactional analysis perspectives and clinical interventions. Transactional Analysis Journal, 24, 86–102.
23.
ErskineR. G. (1997). Theories and methods of an integrative transactional analysis: A volume of selected articles. San Francisco: TA Press.
24.
ErskineR. G.TrautmannR. L. (1996). Methods of an integrative psychotherapy. Transactional Analysis Journal, 26, 316–328.
25.
ErskineR. G.ZalcmanM. J. (1979). The racket system: A model for racket analysis. Transactional Analysis Journal, 9, 51–59.
26.
FedernP. (1952). Ego psychology and the psychoses (WeissE., Trans.). New York: Basic Books.
27.
FreudS. (1955). The libido theory. In StracheyJ. (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 18, pp. 255–263). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1923).
28.
FreudS. (1958). The dynamics of transference. In StracheyJ. (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 12, pp. 97–108). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1912).
29.
FreudS. (1964). An outline of psychoanalysis. In StracheyJ. (Ed. & Trans.), The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 23, pp. 141–208). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1940).
30.
GilbertM. (1996). Ego states and ego states networks: Some questions for the transactional analysis practitioner. Keynote speech presented at the ITAA Conference on Ego States, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
31.
GouldingM. M.GouldingR. L. (1979). Changing lives through redecision therapy. New York: Brunner/ Mazel.
32.
GouldingR. L.GouldingM. M. (1976). Injunctions, decisions, and redecisions. Transactional Analysis Journal, 6, 41–48.
33.
GrégoireJ. (1998). Criteria for defining the boundaries of transactional analysis' fields of application. Transactional Analysis Journal, 28, 311–320. (Original work published 1994).
34.
HineJ. (1997). Mind structure and ego states. Transactional Analysis Journal, 27, 278–290.
35.
KahlerT.CapersH. (1974). The miniscript. Transactional Analysis Journal, 4(1), 26–42.
36.
LacanJ. (1973). Les quatre concepts fondamentaux de la psychanalyse [The four fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis], Paris: Seuil.
37.
LaplancheJ.PontalisJ. (1967). Vocabulaire de la psychanalyse [Vocabulary of psychoanalysis]. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
38.
LoomisM. (1982). Contracting for change. Transactional Analysis Journal, 12, 51–55.
39.
McNamaraJ.Lister-FordC. (1995). Ego states and the psychology of memory. Transactional Analysis Journal, 25, 141–149.
40.
McNeelJ. (1976). The Parent interview. Transactional Analysis Journal, 6, 61–68.
41.
MellorK. (1980). Impasses: A developmental and structural understanding. Transactional Analysis Journal, 10, 213–220.
42.
MorinE. (1990). Introduction à la pensée complexe [Introduction to complex thinking]. Paris: Editions Sociales Françaises.
43.
MorrisD. G.MorrisF. R. (1992). The four stories of psychotherapy. Transactional Analysis Journal, 22, 101–105.
44.
MüllerU. (1999). Der mythos der ganzheilichkeit [The myth of wholeness]. Zeitschrift für Transaktionsanalyse in Theorie und Praxis, 16(4), 170–184.
45.
NovellinoM. (1990). Unconscious communication and interpretation in transactional analysis. Transactional Analysis Journal, 20, 168–172.
46.
PagèsM. (1993). Psychothérapie et complexité [Psychotherapy and complexity]. Paris: Epi.
47.
ParryA. (1997). Why we tell stories: The narrative construction of reality. Transactional Analysis Journal, 27, 118–127.
48.
PiagetJ. (1968). Le structuralisme [Structuralism]. Paris: Payot.
49.
SchiffJ. L.SchiffA. W.MellorK.SchiffE.SchiffS.RichmanD.FishmanJ.WolzL.FishmanC.MombD. (1975). Cathexis reader: Transactional analysis treatment of psychosis. New York: Harper & Row.
50.
SchlegelL. (1998). What is transactional analysis?Transactional Analysis Journal, 28, 269–287. (Original work published 1997).
51.
SchmidB. (1991). Intuition of the possible and the transactional creation of realities. Transactional Analysis Journal, 21, 144–154.
52.
StaceyR. (1996). Complexity and creativity in organizations. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
53.
SteinerC. (1976). Script and counterscript. In Selected articles from volumes 1 through 9 of the Transactional Analysis Bulletin (pp. 18–20). San Francisco: TA Press. (Original work published 1966).
54.
StemD. (1985). The interpersonal world of the infant: A view from psychoanalysis and developmental psychology. New York: Basic Books.
55.
StewartI.JoinesV. (1987). TA today: A new introduction to transactional analysis. Nottingham, England, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Lifespace Publishing.
ThunnissenM. (1998). The structural development of the child ego state. Transactional Analysis Journal, 28, 143–152.
58.
TrautmannR. L.ErskineR. G. (1981). Ego state analysis: A comparative view. Transactional Analysis Journal, 11, 178–185.
59.
Waldekranz-PiselliK. C. (1999). What do we do before we say hello? The body as the stage setting for the script. Transactional Analysis Journal, 29, 31–48.
60.
WatzlawickP.WeaklandJ.FischR. (1974). Change: Principles of problem formation and problem resolution. New York: Norton.
61.
WinnicottD. (1971). Playing and reality. London: Tavistock.
