Thesis (D. Min.)--Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1981. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-134).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1981. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-134).

Background: This thesis explores, in-depth, the experience and sense-making of transactional analyst psychotherapists working with clients who present with Internet addiction (IA). It engages with the therapist’s broad experience and understanding of Internet addiction presentation, therapeutic assessment, ‘diagnosis’ and ‘treatment’ rather than the singular experience, expression, and meaning-making of the individual client. Method: As a counselling psychologist trainee, I was particularly interested in sampling highly experienced therapists, with an extensive range of skills developed through a robust clinical training. Four therapist participants, all professional members of the European Association of Transactional Analysis (EATA), were interviewed using semi-structured, one-to-one interviews and the material was analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings and Discussion: Four higher-order concepts emerged within this study. They concerned: the complexity of IA; aetiological and predisposing factors; functions and features of IA; and treatment factors. Practical and theoretical implications for future research, clinical supervision, treatment, psycho-educational and political programmes are presented. Of the key emergent findings the Internet was understood by participants as a conduit or medium for addiction given a high prevalence of an underlying ‘disorders’. All of the participants believed in the existence of childhood aetiological roots which underpinned comorbidity with IA. Attachment difficulties in childhood would often predispose individuals to develop issues around loneliness, low self-esteem, control, loss and instability, and cognitive dissonance later in life. Participants believed a relationship existed between depression, low self-esteem and escapism as contributing factors. Conclusion: A systematic review of the extant research is proposed, along with quantitative studies to specifically evaluate the strength of this relationship. Further empirical research is particularly recommended to explore how these factors can predispose individuals to developing sub-types of IA, and especially in the context of historic childhood abuse and / or neglect. The complex nature and aetiology of IA can demand a high level of clinical expertise from professionals who would benefit from specific trainings concerning childhood attachment difficulties. Integrating a psychodynamic approach, or being aware of transference processes, could possibly enhance treatment effectiveness, and help safeguard both clients and therapists from counter-therapeutic interventions.

There were two major goals of this study - to examine validity of scores for the Boholst Life Position Scale and to examine potential associations between life positions and affective traits. Two hundred seventy-seven students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes at a large university volunteered for the study. Concurrent validity of scores for the life position scale was supported based on two compared instruments. Pearson product-moment correlations for the comparisons were -.765 and .617, both statistically significant at the p < .001 level. Factor analysis demonstrated that the scale could accurately be conceptualized as consisting of two factors - an "I" factor and a "You" factor. MANOVA, ANOVA, multiple linear regression, and canonical correlation analysis were used to examine associations between life positions and the affective traits of angry, sad, glad, social anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life. Subjects were catagorized into four groups representing their life position: "I'm OK, you're OK," "I'm OK, you're not OK," "I'm not OK, you're OK," and "I'm not OK, you're not OK." A MANOVA employing life position as the independent variable with four levels and the six affective traits as the dependent variables demonstrated statistical significance (p < .001 level) and h2 was .505. All six separate ANOVAs, with life position as the independent variable and each separate affective trait as the dependent variable, revealed statistical significance (p < .001) and h2 varied from a high of .396 for the sadness variable to a low of .116 for social anxiety. Six separate multiple linear regression equations using two independent variables, a measure of self-esteem and a measure of the perceived OK-ness of others, and each separate affective trait as the dependent variable, showed statistical significance (p < .001). The average Adjusted R2 was .475. Both canonical correlation functions were statistically significant (Rc12 = .77 and Rc22 = .21). In summary, life positions were strongly associated with specific affective traits.

This research study deals with the widespread concern that exists amongst parents, educators and healthcare professionals working with children about issues regarding bullying in childhood and adolescence. By using the Transactional Analysis (TA) theory, this research project aimed to describe possible social transactions that occur between bully perpetrators and bully victims, and to examine these social transactions from the perspective of potentially predisposed personality profiles. The link between the personality profile and social transactions lie within the notion that our personality profiles could possibly influence the way we interact with or behave towards other individuals. The motivation behind this research study was therefore to analyse and examine the social transactions that occur between bully perpetrators and bully victims, which exemplifies the unique relationship that defines a bully perpetrator and bully victim in order to better explain (by way of TA) the ‘games’ they play. This was done by identifying the psychological profile tendencies that prompt bully perpetrators and bully victims to engage in repetitive transactions in order to uncover the games they tend to play, as well as to foster an understanding of why bully victims struggle to ‘unhook’ from these dysfunctional transactions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

Although transactional analysis (TA) theory has been used by psychotherapists since its introduction by Eric Berne in the 1960s, the ego state functioning constructs, a seminal part of the theory, have not been adequately validated. Previous research has focused on whether therapy using TA methodology works. This study tested the TA ego state constructs by measuring client change occurring during psychotherapy and comparing those changes with predictions from the TA theory. Fifty-six subjects, who were clients at a university counseling center in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, were tested before and after therapy using two standardized instruments, the Adjective Check List (ACL) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and client and therapist global ratings of success of therapy. Critical Parent, Nurturing Parent, Adult, and Adapted Child ego state scores from the ACL all changed in the predicted directions and reached statistical significance. Free Child ego state score changes did not reach statistical significance. Ego state scores correlated with BSI Global Severity Index in predicted directions and all correlations except Critical Parent were statistically significant. Changes in ego state scores did not correlate with client and therapist ratings of success with one exception--Nurturing Parent was related to Client ratings of success. Changes in ego state scores did not correlate with subject pretest symptomatology, number of sessions, or the therapist's level of experience. Limitations of the study and recommendations for further research are discussed.

Transactional analysis has been a useful tool for the researcher in categorizing these characteristics. Using it, he was able to recognize both commonalities and differences between types of problem adolescents. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the life scripts of problem adolescents of selected institutions to determine what the commonalities are within and between the categories of injunctions, counter injunctions, basic positions, rackets, games, decisions, programs of life course, and treatment contracts. The purpose and problem are embodied in four basic questions: (1) Do commonalities exist in the categories of injunctions, counter injunctions, basic positions, rackets, games, decision, programs of life course and treatment contracts?; (2) What are the most prevalent commonalities within each category? Example: What is the most common injunction?; (3) What are the commonalities between categories? Example: What is the most common game when the injunction is “Don’t get close?”; and (4) What are the commonalities among total life scripts? Calude Steiner categorizes the alcoholic into three main types: “drunk proud,” “lush,” and “wino;” is it possible to categorize adolescent delinquents into similar personality patterns.

Uncivil behavior in the workplace can cause absenteeism or low job performance among employees, yet little academic literature addresses this relationship, particularly in the public sector. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to use the transactional analysis of communication (TAC) model to explore the ramifications of incivility in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The central research questions focused on employee perceptions of incivility and effective communication within the VHA. Twelve VHA employees were recruited for participation through a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants along with some VHA archived video training. Data were inductively coded and analyzed for emergent themes. Key findings revealed that VHA lacked effective communication, and malingering occurred due to workplace incivility. It was concluded that TAC curtailed misunderstandings of social dysfunctions in communicating. Another theme that emerged is that although workplace relationships were highly esteemed by employees, they believed that communication issues hindered those professional relationships and suggested training could be a valuable tool to improve workplace communication and reduce incivility. It was recommended that similar studies of this phenomenon be conducted for greater understanding and knowledge to the discipline. TAC served to effect positive social change by educating VHA leadership and their employees on how to thwart incivility in the workplace.

This research is to develop in-basket work samples to measure an individual's willingness and ability to display behaviors that are often associated with successful leadership in organizations as described by Bass.

Uncivil behavior in the workplace can cause absenteeism or low job performance among employees, yet little academic literature addresses this relationship, particularly in the public sector. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to use the transactional analysis of communication (TAC) model to explore the ramifications of incivility in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The central research questions focused on employee perceptions of incivility and effective communication within the VHA. Twelve VHA employees were recruited for participation through a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants along with some VHA archived video training. Data were inductively coded and analyzed for emergent themes. Key findings revealed that VHA lacked effective communication, and malingering occurred due to workplace incivility. It was concluded that TAC curtailed misunderstandings of social dysfunctions in communicating. Another theme that emerged is that although workplace relationships were highly esteemed by employees, they believed that communication issues hindered those professional relationships and suggested training could be a valuable tool to improve workplace communication and reduce incivility. It was recommended that similar studies of this phenomenon be conducted for greater understanding and knowledge to the discipline. TAC served to effect positive social change by educating VHA leadership and their employees on how to thwart incivility in the workplace.