Abstract
This article reviews some of the major ideas about life positions and their origins and then discusses a recent exchange about them. The disagreements are classified as deriving from confusion between observation of behavior and moral rules. Proposing a refinement of existential position diagnosis, a calibration of the OK Corral (Ernst, 1971) is suggested.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Allen
J. R.
Allen
B. A.
(1972 ). Scripts: The role of permission . Transactional Analysis Journal , 2 (2 ), 72 –74 .
2.
Berne
E.
(1961 ). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy: A systematic individual and social psychiatry . New York : Grove Press .
3.
Berne
E.
(1962a ). Classification of positions . Transactional Analysis Bulletin , 1 (3 ), 23 .
4.
Berne
E.
(1962b ). Research: Terminology . Transactional Analysis Bulletin , 1 (3 ), 24 .
5.
Berne
E.
(1964 ). Games people play: The psychology of human relationships . New York : Grove Press .
6.
Berne
E.
(1966 ). Principles of group treatment . New York : Grove Press .
7.
Berne
E.
(1972 ). What do you say after you say hello?: The psychology of human destiny . New York : Grove Press .
8.
Breen
M.
(1970 ). An improvement scale . Transactional Analysis Bulletin , 9 (33 ), 1 –2 .
9.
Buber
M.
(1970 ). I and thou (
Kaufman
W.
, Trans.). New York : Scribner . (Original work published 1937).
10.
English
F.
(1975 ). I'm OK—you're OK (adult) . Transactional Analysis Journal , 5 , 416 –419 .
11.
English
F.
(1976a ). The fifth position: I'm OK, you're OK for real . Voices , 12 (1 ), 29 .
12.
English
F.
(1976b ). Racketeering . Transactional Analysis Journal , 6 , 78 –81 .
13.
English
F.
(1995 ). Commentary . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 239 –240 .
14.
Ernst
F.
(1968 ). Who's listening?
Vallejo, CA : Author .
15.
Ernst
F. H.
Jr.
(1971 ). The OK corral: The grid for get-on-with . Transactional Analysis Journal , 1 (4 ), 33 –42 .
16.
Ernst
F.
(1982 ). The annual Eric Berne memorial scientific award acceptance speech . Transactional Analysis Journal , 12 , 5 –8 .
17.
Erskine
R. G.
(1995 ). Commentary: Taxonomies, theories, and therapeutic relationships . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 236 –239 .
18.
Harris
T.
(1967 ). What is “OK.”
Transactional Analysis Bulletin , 6 (24 ), 94 –96 .
19.
Harris
T. A.
(1993 ). I'm OK—you're OK . New York : Avon Books . (Original work published 1967).
20.
Hine
J.
(1982 ). Life position theory . Transactional Analysis Journal , 12 , 190 –194 .
21.
Hine
J.
(1995 ). Commentary . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 240 –241 .
22.
Holland
G. A.
(1970 ). A psychological theory of positions . Transactional Analysis Bulletin , 9 (35 ), 87 –89 .
23.
Jacobs
A.
(1987 ). Autocratic power . Transactional Analysis Journal , 17 , 59 –71 .
24.
Jacobs
A.
(1991 ). Aspects of survival: Triumph over death and onliness . Transactional Analysis Journal , 21 , 4 –11 .
25.
Jacobs
A.
(1994 ). Theory as ideology: Reparenting and thought reform . Transactional Analysis Journal , 24 , 39 –55 .
26.
Kohlberg
L.
(1981 ). The philosophy of moral development . Vol. II . San Francisco : Harper & Row .
27.
Kuhn
T. S.
(1970 ). The structure of scientific revolutions (2nd ed. ). Chicago : University of Chicago Press . (Original work published 1962).
28.
Steiner
C.
(1971 ). Games alcoholics play: The analysis of life scripts . New York : Grove Press .
29.
Steiner
C.
(1973 ). Inside TA or I'm OK, You're OK but what do we do about them . Issues in Radical Therapy , 1 (2 ), 3 –7 .
30.
Steiner
C. M.
(1974 ). Scripts people live: Transactional analysis of life scripts . New York : Grove .
31.
Trautmann
R. L.
Erskine
R. G.
(1981 ). Ego state analysis: A comparative view . Transactional Analysis Journal , 11 , 178 –185 .
32.
White
T.
(1994 ). Life positions . Transactional Analysis Journal , 24 , 269 –276 .
33.
White
T.
(1995 ). “I'm OK, you're OK”: Further considerations . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 234 –236 .
34.
Wiener
N.
(1954 ). The human use of human beings: Cybernetics and society . Garden City, NY : Doubleday Anchor Books .
35.
Yontef
G. M.
(1984 ). Modes of thinking in Gestalt therapy . The Gestalt Journal , 7 , 33 –74 .
36.
White
T.
(1995 ). Response to English . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 243 .
37.
White
T.
(1995 ). Response to Erskine . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 241 –243 .
38.
White
T.
(1995 ). Response to Hine . Transactional Analysis Journal , 25 , 243 –244 .
