Transactional Analysis Theory - Time Structuring

This blog comes from Ajit Karve, a Transformational TA Coach
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Time Structuring

People avoid living their lives in periods of unstructured time to be free of boredom, stereotypy and monotony. Time structuring also helps in keeping the supply of strokes flowing.

There are six ways of structuring time. The two extremes are Withdrawal and Intimacy. The other four are Rituals, Activity, Pastimes and Game. We will consider the two extremes first and thereafter the other four.

Withdrawal  - The name signifies that it results in isolating oneself from others. Such isolation need not be physical. It can occur while being in the company of others such as while driving a car, walking with someone to the market or for that matter while participating in a meeting or in a training session. Withdrawal causes one to be removed from here-now. Berne asks this: "Where is the mind when your body is here." In such cases stroke generation may be mild to very high. The threat of exposure is minimal because it is not participatory. It occurs when we are engaged with what another said, or for justifying our position or point of view, or while we are smarting in pain, hurt, insult, loss, due to what happened or, what someone said, or while experiencing a broken heart, or flights of imagination. Such engagements constitute racketing. It is used to generate psychological trading stamps. People spend time fantasising and in autistic thinking - thinking to harm another or to harm oneself or for working out plans to get at another in a particular way, at a particular time or upon a given event presenting. Withdrawal promotes stroke deprivation which is likely to contribute to being low, feeling depressed, feeling isolated, feeling marginalized or being left alone. In extreme cases it is the sign of loneliness and depression.

Healthy minded people also spend time in withdrawal. They do so to draw plans, to reflect and find solutions or to revise a talk or lecture. Healthy withdrawal also takes place when one prays or meditates.

Intimacy - Intimacy is rare and valuable. It takes place between persons in moments of open hearted exchange of thoughts, ideas, feelings, opinions, free of ulterior transactions. It happens due to the participation of Free Child and Nurturing Parent. There is great sense of understanding and acceptance between the persons. They foster respect, regard, acceptance, and esteem for the other. Intimacy is more rewarding than other forms of time structuring but threatening because it touches upon one's beliefs about oneself and about others. There is healthy stroke generation during such moments though.

Rituals - Rituals are Parent programmed decent, well mannered, pleasant exchanges of greetings and niceties.

Examples of interactions between oneself and the other

Good Morning.                       Good Morning.

How are you.                           I am fine and you.

How are folks at home.           They are fine, thank you. And yours.

Mine too are fine.

All good in business.

You getting along well.           Not much change.

Chow see you again, bye.       Bye.

Usually such exchanges are one to six exchanges long and made on the go. They are also undertaken to settle down at meetings or at home by asking what is special for dinner tonight, or care for a drink, and expecting an answer 'no thanks'. In such cases the outcome of rituals is predictable.

Rituals are also seen at inauguration of meetings, while giving vote of thanks, and similarly in religious and social ceremonies. In these cases they can be very long.  It is not uncommon to find people in the audience yawning and talking to each other. Rituals help to avoid boredom but do not generate intense strokes.

Activities - Activities are interpersonal exchanges in the context of work, planning, discussions, tasks, conduct of business meetings and the like. The interactions are related to objects, plans, ideas, problems, challenges and the like. Strokes are both +ve and -ve. Strokes come from encouraging and motivational talk extolling the performance of earlier times or through criticism or remarks about poor performance, lack of enthusiasm, lack of participation or contribution as examples. Stroke production is variable. Strokes keep coming through learning and education.

Pastimes - As the name suggests, this type of time structuring concerns past-times. People participating in pastime aimlessly or doggedly speak about politics, policies, newspaper articles and news, scandals, sports, cars, bikes, children, and other type of undirected gossip. People participating in pastimes know each other or are introduced to the group. Serious talk, discussion, at times leg pulling, making jokes, also takes place. Pastimes many a time follow game formats. However, switch and cross up, the distinguishing features of games, are missing.

People part company only when they remember something, or an expected appointment is due. The stroke generations is mild to high, threat is also mild to high. Pastimes provide a fertile ground to switch over to games. This takes place between people who have complementary scripts, and are eager (unawarely) to try them out.

Games - Games are an on-going series of ulterior complementary transactions which lead to a well defined predictable outcome in the form of intense strokes called pay-offs. Games are played unawarely. Games are characterised by a switch and a cross-up. Switch happens when the topic changes from a discussion to a person. In games participants usually blame the other and justify themselves. Games result in the parties moving away with their favoured feelings of pain, hurt, insult, put-downs, guilt, feeling ashamed, taken for a ride, treated unfairly, not understood, and the like.

Games players participate energetically. Games generate and foster pseudo intimacy. Games help to generate intense racket feelings.

The question to ask is not whether or not we play games, the question to ask is what favourite game we play or participate in.

Except for time spent in intimacy and some forms of activities, time structuring has a lot to do with the scripts of people, life positions, favourite games and pastimes.

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