Transactional Analysis in Russia

The aim of the study is to present a diagnostic algorithm for identifying the script-related nature of sexual difficulties in highly functioning women. The study is based on a retrospective analysis of 7 long-term therapy cases of female clients aged 30–45 with «Be Strong» and «Be Perfect» drivers. Methods of transactional analysis (Gouldings’ impasse theory, McNeil’s taxonomy of injunctions, Kahler’s driver concept) and qualitative data analysis were used. Two main patterns were identified: «Control through Perfection» (linked to the «Don’t Be a Child» injunction and Defiance decision) and «Self-Sufficiency through Strength» (linked to the «Don’t Trust»/»Don’t Be Close» injunctions and Despair or Defiance decisions). A step-by-step diagnostic algorithm is proposed: from the bodily symptom to the level of impasse, the specific injunction, and the type of childhood decision. The developed algorithm allows the therapist to accurately identify the target for redecision and increase the effectiveness of therapy for sexual impasses.

The aim of this article is to present the results of a pilot applied study evaluating the efficiency of an AI tool that generates a life script report within transactional analysis framework. The study assessed changes in script clarity after receiving the report, as well as emotional effects and potential impacts on therapeutic process. An author-developed questionnaire was used, including a retrospective “before” rating and a current “after” rating (1–5 scale), along with open questions. In a paired sample (N = 48), script clarity increased, with average gain ΔSC = 0.98 (95% CI 0.78–1.18). Qualitative responses described two lines of impact: accelerated material structuring and contracting, alongside both acceleration and risks of shame, overload, and a sense of predetermined outcomes. Principles are proposed for ethically integrating the report as a “map of hypotheses” as well as a design for the next research stage including a baseline (zero-cut point) measurement prior to receiving the report. (Berne, 1972).

The article explores the integration of mathematical game theory and transactional analysis as a framework for modeling human behavior and social interaction. The author argues that, despite the historical underrepresentation of game theory in Russian psychology, it is becoming a key analytical tool in contemporary contexts, particularly in relation to artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems. The paper focuses on the problem of conceptualizing agents’ preferences, interpreted in transactional analysis as “secondary gain” and in game theory as a latent utility function. As an illustrative case, the Karpman Drama Triangle is examined and formalized as a system of strategic interaction characterized by multiple equilibria and incomplete information. It is shown that even a simplified model entails complex dynamics involving repeated games, cognitive biases, and internal conflicts represented as interactions between ego states. The author demonstrates that a game-theoretic approach enables not only the description but also the prediction of behavioral scenarios, as well as the design of targeted interventions aimed at achieving more efficient (Pareto-optimal) outcomes. Ultimately, transactional analysis is proposed as a foundation for the design of multi-agent intelligent systems and as a tool for improving the quality of human communication.

This article examines professional self-actualisation as a pivotal dimension of human existence, serving as the primary arena for the manifestation of the individual’s life script. Within this vocational context, two fundamental existential inquiries arise: firstly, the nature of one’s professional identity and field of application, and secondly, the feasibility of achieving success when pursuing an authentic calling. Integrating the theoretical frameworks of James Hollis and Linda Gregory, the paper specifically investigates John R. McNeel’s ’injunctions’ as the foundational mechanisms governing the development of the professional script. The discussion incorporates empirical findings from qualitative interviews and research sessions, elucidating the psychological impediments to career progression and offering diagnostic inquiries for the analysis of one’s own vocational script. A salient theme explored herein is the concept of the ’unconscious penalty’ incurred when embarking upon an autonomous career path—a psychological toll paid for what the script perceives as ’wilfulness’ or defiance. The article posits that the individual must navigate a transformative journey: moving from a state of scripted adaptation to restrictive injunctions—particularly those undermining identity and competence—towards a state of authentic autonomy and psychological integration.

This article presents the results of a theoretical analysis and empirical research on the specifics of marital conflicts, taking into account the personality adaptations of partners. Based on the analysis, a comparison was made between specific personality adaptations and their corresponding script processes, as well as their impact on couple relationships, particularly marital conflicts.

The study involved a sample of 75 married couples (aged 23 to 75 years, married from 1 to 35 years). The following procedures were used: Joines Personality Adaptations Questionnaire (JPAQ, Russian version modified by V. Petrovsky and J. Poltavskaya); the Marital Conflict Diagnostic Inventory by V. P. Levkovich; the Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory (CRSI) by L. A. Kurdek (Russian adaptation by O. A. Sychev and I. V. Anoshkin); and the “Personal Aggressiveness and Conflict” Technique by E. P. Ilyin and P. A. Kovalev. Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant correlations between partners’ personality adaptations, levels of conflictness, and relationship satisfaction. Specific conflict-prone adaptation combinations in couples, as well as combinations associated with higher relationship satisfaction, were identified. Theoretical analysis revealed that the identified patterns may be explained by the script processes characteristic of each adaptation.

The results indicate that personality adaptations and their associated script processes significantly influence partners’ interaction patterns. The outcome enable the prediction of areas and nature of conflict interaction and can be applied in couple therapy to support individuals seeking help and to enhance their relationship satisfaction.

This article is devoted to an empirical study of the relationship between romantic relationship script systems (R. Erskine) and attachment types in adulthood (J. Bowlby, S. Hazan, and F. Shaver). The relevance of this study stems from the need for empirical substantiation of transactional analytic constructs in the field of partner relationships and their integration with the general psychological context of attachment theory. The study was conducted on a sample of 12 respondents (aged 35–42) in long-term relationships. The methodological basis of the study was a phenomenological approach focused on the analysis of respondents’ subjective experiences. Data processing was carried out using qualitative analysis through «meaning condensation». The study was conducted in two stages: in the first stage, attachment type was determined using the «Experience of Close Relationships» method; in the second stage, respondents’ script systems in the context of romantic relationships were reconstructed through semi-structured interviews. As a result, the beliefs, feelings, scenario manifestations and reinforcing experience of the respondents were empirically investigated and models of scenario systems for reliable, avoidant and anxious-ambivalent types of attachment were built. Key differences in script beliefs, manifestations, and reinforcing experiences, as well as the specific nature of conflicts among individuals with different attachment styles, are identified. The theoretical and practical implications of an integrative approach for psychological counseling are discussed.

This article aims to rethink the phenomenon of therapeutic resistance: from its perception as an obstacle to understanding to a diagnostically valuable «text» of the client’s life script. The goal of the study is to develop and describe a reproducible TDS (Transactional-Diathesis-Script) algorithm, allowing therapists to analyze client behavior in the office as a multilayered structure. The study was conducted through theoretical modeling and in-depth qualitative analysis of a single clinical case (120 therapy sessions with a 32-year-old client, diagnosed with F43.2 and F60.7). The theoretical framework was based on transactional analysis, the diathesis-stress model, and the epigenetic metaphor. A four-step algorithm is proposed: observation of behavioral patterns; a TA hypothesis (script prohibition, defense mechanism); a biopsychosocial hypothesis taking into account family history and vulnerability; and an integrative formulation of an early decision. The article provides a table of correspondence between behavioral manifestations (lateness, intellectualization, devaluation, silence) and script beliefs and prohibitions. A clinical example demonstrates how the algorithm enables the transformation of resistance into an exploratory dialogue. The TDS algorithm changes the therapist’s perspective: resistance becomes not a battlefield, but a key to the core of the script. The model can be useful for practicing psychotherapists, especially in the transactional analysis modality, and in training programs.

This article attempts a theoretical conceptualization of the changes that arise in the structure of human self-regulation and inner dialogue under conditions of active interaction with generative artificial intelligence. Drawing on Eric Berne’s classical Transactional Analysis, the author proposes the concept of the “exo-introject,” understood as an external algorithmic system capable of functionally performing certain regulatory, evaluative, and supportive functions traditionally associated with the Parent and Adult ego states. The paper examines the hypothesis of the formation of a specific dependence on algorithmic mediation, referred to as “second-order symbiosis,” in which some functions of evaluation, choice, and reality testing may be stably externalized into the digital environment. Clinical-theoretical examples are analyzed to illustrate possible mechanisms through which decision-making is delegated to algorithms, and the role of AI as a potential carrier of cultural norms and injunctions is also discussed. Special attention is given to the dual potential of AI: on the one hand, as a factor of external regulation capable of reinforcing dependency and reducing autonomy; on the other hand, as a tool that, under certain conditions, may be used to support reflection and activate the Adult ego state in psychotherapeutic work. The article also proposes practical guidelines for maintaining subjective autonomy in the digital environment.

This article introduces a new integrative approach to transactional analysis psychotherapy: Narrative Identity-Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (NIPT). This model brings together core psychodynamic principles and the conceptual precision of transactional analysis to offer a comprehensive framework for understanding personality and psychological change. The paper outlines the theoretical foundations of NIPT, with particular attention to the self-memory system and to narrative identity. Special emphasis is placed on self-defining memories and future projections as key forms of autobiographical material relevant to identity construction. Their analysis provides clinically valuable insight into script decisions and other components of the life script, including script payoff and the “final scene.” The article further demonstrates how narrative scripts (abstract Emotion–Action–Outcome sequences that function as internal templates for organizing experience, memory, imagined futures, and the life story as a whole) can be understood in relation to the transactional analytic concept of life script. Drawing on clinical case material, the paper illustrates the mechanisms involved in the formation and transformation of maladaptive narrative scripts, as well as broader life-script patterns. The clinical relevance of this approach is discussed, highlighting its potential to equip practitioners with effective tools for deep and enduring therapeutic work.

The aim of this study is to analyze a psychological symptom in one family member from the perspective of integrating transactional analysis and systemic family therapy. A qualitative analysis of clinical cases from psychological counseling practice was conducted, drawing on concepts from transactional analysis and systemic family therapy. The findings show that a psychological symptom is associated not only with individual personality characteristics but also with family-system dynamics: it serves a stabilizing function and reflects disruptions in boundaries, roles, and communication. Integrating these approaches makes it possible to identify the links between an individual’s life script and the structure of family interactions. This integrative perspective broadens analytic possibilities and supports the formulation of more precise therapeutic hypotheses and strategies for working with the family system.