Egostates

Egostates are a concept in transactional analysis, a theory of psychology developed by Eric Berne. They describe distinct patterns of behavior, thought, and feeling that a person experiences and expresses. Berne proposed three primary egostates: Parent, Adult, and Child.

The Parent egostate is characterized by learned behaviors, attitudes, and emotions, often adopted from parents or other significant authority figures. This can manifest as nurturing, critical, or directive behavior. It can be further divided into the Nurturing Parent, which is caring and supportive, and the Critical Parent, which imposes rules and judgments.

The Adult egostate represents rational, objective, and logical thinking. It is characterized by the assessment of facts, probabilities, and the formulation of decisions based on current reality. This egostate operates independently of past experiences or emotional reactions.

The Child egostate encompasses the feelings, impulses, and experiences from childhood. It is divided into the Natural Child, which is spontaneous and creative, the Adapted Child, which responds to the demands of the Parent egostate by conforming or rebelling, and the Little Professor, which is intuitive and manipulative.

Transactional analysis suggests that individuals can shift between these egostates throughout the day. Healthy functioning involves the ability to access and utilize all three egostates appropriately depending on the situation. Problems can arise when one egostate dominates or when interactions between egostates become dysfunctional, leading to communication breakdowns and emotional distress. The goal of transactional analysis is to help individuals understand their egostates and improve their interpersonal interactions.