Transactional Analysis Theory - Psychopathology

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Psycho-Pathology

Pathology means the study of causes and effects of diseases and their nature. Pathology also refers to the study of diseases and the changes that they cause.  

In clinical psychology, pathology refers to the enduring patterns of thinking, emotion and behaviour. It is manifest by adaptive inflexibility, maladaptive behaviour and emotional instability under stress. 

Eric Berne writes in his book Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy that 'Pathology is concerned with the reactions of living organisms to injury.'* He also writes that pathology 'concerns itself with more general reactions which involve the whole psychic organisation, or which are common to a large categories of disturbances.' 

The Schiffs write in Cathexis Reader that 'Psychopathology' can be thought of as the development of adaptations which control the Child as opposed to the Child controlling the adaptations.'**

Psycho-pathology concerns the study of the origin, development and manifestation of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. These besides, it also deals with the loss of social control, coping difficulties and psychological conditions such as neuroses and psychoses. PAC diagrams offer ease of understanding these conditions.

Psycho-pathology is covered under two topical heads - structural pathology and functional pathology. Structural pathology explains the effects of anomalies of ego state boundaries.  Functional pathology explains the effects of change in lability of cathexis and of permeability of ego state boundaries.

Structural Pathology

The topics of contamination, exclusion and constancy are addressed in structural pathology.

Contamination: In contamination Adult view of reality is coloured or influenced either by Parent or by Child or by both Parent and Child views. As a result Adult capacity is impaired. The Adult is unable to carry out effective reality testing. The person displays loss of effective social control.

Figure 14

Contamination is likened to barnacles covering a ship's side. Decontamination is achieved by peeling off the influence area.

In Parent contamination of Adult, the person believes that his prejudiced view of reality is true and correct, and makes every attempt to justify it. Some such strong views are: children should be seen, not heard; dancing is immoral; threat of punishment is the only way to discipline others. The Adult then functions in a prejudicial manner. Prejudices are Parent beliefs which are held as true. These result in misapprehension, self deception and illusions.

In Child contamination of Adult, the person is overtaken by lurking suspicion and fear. Some people are reluctant to change clothes in changing rooms in the fear that they are being photographed or watched. Child contamination results in delusion. The most common result of this contamination is sincerely believing that we can make another feel happy or feel bad as a result of our thinking, feeling, actions and behaviours. These are Taibi Kahler's famous four myths.***

In double contamination the person believes the Child view of reality to be true and supports it with Parent justification. Double contamination signals movement to script. My father does not like me, so I am no good; I am not tall, so I am not smart; I am no good at studies, so I will not do well in my life; are some examples.

Parent contamination of Adult, Child contamination of Adult and double contamination add three variations to personality structures that generate responses to stimuli.

Exclusion: Exclusion could be viewed as a disability. Three conditions are possible. They are Parent Exclusion, Child Exclusion and Adult Exclusion. They are pictured in figure 15.

Figure 15

In exclusion either one or two ego states become decommissioned. Variations of these are possible with the Parent or Child contaminating the Adult in addition to exclusion of Child or Parent respectively.

Berne mentions in 'What Do You Say After You Say Hello' that "exclusion can result from one ego state being more highly cathected than the others and takes over regardless of their strivings". He also mentions that "a normal type of exclusion occurs in well-organised personalities, where one ego state takes over with the consent of the others. The Child and Parent let the Adult take over during working hours".  

Parent exclusion results in absence of values, respect of law, and in being free of guilt. There is no voice of reprimand when some people engage in thieving, stealing, cheating or shoplifting.

Child exclusion results in person not experiencing feelings, has no need for joy and happiness, has no need for intimate company. Such persons have weak 'sense related feelings'. If someone says it is cold today, the person replies: Yes, may be, the temperature has dipped below 20 degrees. 

Adult exclusion results in the person using either Parent or Child in dealing with the reality situations. The person expresses inability to think, apply logic, conduct analysis, or make well thought choices.

Constancy: Constancy results from exclusion of two ego states. It leaves only one active ego state to deal with people, situations, problems and difficulties. The single functioning ego state is then called 'excluding ego state' or 'constant ego state'. Three cases of constancy result. Constancy is represented in diagrams by showing the excluding ego state with a thick boundary. Sometimes the excluded ego states are shown in dotted lines. It is as shown in figure 16.

Figure 16

Constant Parent: A coercive boss, strict penalising father, discipline demanding manager are examples resulting from a Constant Parent. A person with a constant  Parent may fail to make judgements. He will ask people to provide value statements, profit and loss scenarios instead of making them out himself.

Constant Adult: A person with a constant Adult always wants reason, logical explanations, is very practical and more theory oriented. Dedicated mathematicians, physicists, lecturers, bank managers are examples resulting from Constant Adult.

Constant Child: Persons with constant Child have scant regard for responsibility, meeting deadlines, taking things seriously and awareness of rules and regulations. Compliant Child personalities may have a Constant Child pathology condition.

Examples of contamination and exclusion: Confusion, indecision, struggle and conflict are common occurrences. The diagrams in figure 17 represent these conditions in terms of exclusions.

Figure 17

Confusion: It happens when there is a continuous dialogue between internal Parent and internal Child without Adult involvement. At times Adult is excluded as shown in the diagram. The situation is remedied by activating the Adult.

Indecision: This condition results when the Child is not involved in the decision making process. Child activation ends the situation. Watching children play, eating food slowly and deliberately, hugging a person would help.

Struggle: In struggle Parent is excluded. While the Child desires, the Adult makes an efforts to fulfill the need. However without Parent approval the decision becomes unapproved. By imagining what one’s father or mother or another significant person would have said, helps to end struggle.

Conflict: Conflict results when conflicting messages are released from CP to AC and NP to FC. This results in a situation when the person asks of himself this: "What if I do?" followed by: "What if I don't?" It seeps energy. Impasses result from conflict. The way out is to make a choice out of the two alternatives and actioning it.

Functional Pathology

Functional Pathology results from cathexis being too thick or sluggish or too free flowing. In the first case the person is very slow in responding or unresponsive. In the second case the person takes time. In the third case the person is like quick silver frequently sulfating moods, temperament or responsiveness.

These conditions could be compared to a waxed condition, honey like condition and water like condition of the cathexis. It also affects conversion from bound to unbound cathexis, and its flow as well.

Figure 18

Functional pathology also results from boundary issues. There is variation between the density of pores and their size. It affects the ability of free cathexis to flow from one from ego state to the adjoining ego state.

Combinations: There are three states of cathexis (bound, unbound and free cathexis) and three conditions of boundaries (contamination, exclusion and constancy). One of nine combinations are possible. Good ego state boundaries accompanied by sluggish cathexis shows up in people who are slow to start or are slow in stopping doing things. People with rigid ego state boundaries display exclusion. Lax exo state boundary shows up in Asthenics - people who feel personally inadequate and display reluctance in assuming responsibility. Their real self shifts under small stress. Also, people with lax boundaries present themselves as being slipshod.

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* Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy 1975 Eric Berne Pg. 44
** Cathexis Reader 1975 Jacqui Lee Schiff Pg. 26
*** TA Today Ian Stewart and Vann Joines 1987 Pg. 167-68