Ego States

What are ego states?

In Eric Berne’s transactional analysis, ego states are patterns of experience, feeling, and behavior described as Parent, Adult, and Child. The names are symbolic; they do not refer to someone’s age.

The three states

• Parent refers to patterns associated with internalized parental or authority figures.
• Child refers to earlier experiences and responses.
• Adult refers to processing information about the present situation.

Someone offering familiar advice, working through a problem, or reacting defensively might be described through these labels. They are ways of interpreting an exchange within the theory. Within the framework, Child can include playful joy as well as vulnerability. “Child” does not simply mean undesirable emotions, and “Adult” does not mean that everything a person says is wise.

Why it matters

The framework gives people a vocabulary for discussing interactions. Whether using that vocabulary improves a relationship or mental health is a separate question from understanding what the terms mean.

Source: The Berne estate’s explanation of transactional analysis.