PAC Model / Transactional Analysis
Updated 2026-08-13
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Transactional analysis, developed by Eric Berne in the 1950s, describes every person as moving among three ego states. The Parent state carries internalized rules, care, and criticism; the Adult state processes present facts rationally; the Child state holds emotion, spontaneity, and dependence. An exchange is a transaction between the states of two people, and it proceeds smoothly when the states complement each other. The qualification is that all three states are normal and useful, so the model diagnoses interactions rather than personalities.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- State labeling: name which ego state you and the other person are speaking from. - Crossed-transaction fix: move the exchange back to Adult-to-Adult when it stalls. - Trigger watch: notice when a remark pulls you into Parent or Child and pause before replying.
Anchor fast decisions
Each utterance invites a response from a specific state, so a criticizing Parent remark invites a compliant or rebellious Child reply, and that pairing can continue indefinitely without addressing the issue. Naming the states makes the invitation visible, and deliberately answering from the Adult state redirects the exchange toward facts, which breaks the loop.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_analysisverified
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