Differentiation of the Adult Ego State: Analytical Adult and Experiencing Adult

Abstract

Responses from 111 certified ITAA members who assigned 97 behavioral descriptors to applicable ego states were analyzed by latent partition analysis, and item loadings for the latent categories determined. For the Adult ego state, the categories of Analytical Adult and Experiencing Adult were distinguished. Descriptors for the former include “gathers data,” “solves problems,” “organizes,” and “defines reality.” The descriptors for the Experiencing Adult include “cooperative,” “flexible,” “ethically responsible,” and “assertive.” The Analytical Adult is seen as being similar to the Adult as traditionally described, whereas the Experiencing Adult is considered to be a combination of Ethos and Pathos as described by E. Berne, or likened to the Integrated Adult of M. James and D. Jongeward.

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