19  Interpersonal Behaviour and Transactional Analysis

19.1 Interpersonal Behaviour

Interpersonal behaviour is behaviour that occurs between two or more people who are aware of each other and influence each other’s actions. It is the operative level of all the OB topics covered so far — personality, perception, motivation, attitudes — because they show up in face-to-face encounters at work.

Two diagnostic frameworks structure this topic:

  • How well do I know myself, and how transparent am I to others? — the Johari Window.
  • What ego state am I in when I respond, and what is the other person in? — Transactional Analysis (TA).

A third, William Schutz’s FIRO-B, asks what interpersonal needs drive a person.

TipConcept anchors for interpersonal behaviour
  • Self-awareness — the foundation of interpersonal effectiveness.
  • Self-disclosure — willingness to share private information.
  • Feedback — accepting how others see you.
  • Trust — the lubricant of cooperation.
  • Active listening — listening to understand rather than to reply.
  • Empathy — feeling with the other person.
  • Assertiveness — standing for self without trampling on others.

19.2 The Johari Window — Luft and Ingham (1955)

Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham developed the Johari Window (the name is a contraction of their first names) in 1955 as a tool for self-awareness, communication and team-building. The model has two axes — what is known to self and what is known to others — yielding four panes.

TipThe Four Panes of the Johari Window
Pane Known to self Not known to self
Known to others Open / Arena — public self (shared) Blind spot — what others see, you don’t
Not known to others Hidden / Façade — private self Unknown — neither party knows; may surface later 

flowchart TB
  subgraph KS [Known to Self]
    O[Open / Arena<br/>Public self]
    H[Hidden / Façade<br/>Private self]
  end
  subgraph NKS [Not Known to Self]
    B[Blind Spot<br/>Others see; you don't]
    U[Unknown<br/>Discovered later]
  end
  O --- B
  H --- U
    classDef default fill:#003366,color:#ffffff,stroke:#ffcc00,stroke-width:3px,rx:10px,ry:10px;

TipTwo processes that change the Window
  • Self-disclosure — moving information from Hidden into Open by telling others.
  • Feedback solicitation — moving information from Blind into Open by asking others.
  • Shared discovery — the Unknown may surface through new experience, therapy, joint exploration.
NoteGoal — enlarge the Arena

Effective interpersonal relationships in a team have a large Open / Arena. Trust grows as the Arena grows. Cultures with high power distance (e.g., much of South Asia) tend to have larger Hidden and Blind panes.

19.2.1 Four Interpersonal Styles via Johari

Combining the two processes (self-disclosure on the X-axis, feedback solicitation on the Y-axis) gives four interpersonal styles:

TipFour interpersonal styles
Style Self-disclosure Feedback solicitation
Type A — Turtle / Closed Low Low — withdrawn, impersonal
Type B — Interviewer / Inquirer Low High — asks but doesn’t share
Type C — Bull / Pusher High Low — broadcasts but won’t listen
Type D — Effective High High — open and curious

19.3 Transactional Analysis (TA) — Eric Berne (1957–61)

Eric Berne, in Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy (1961) and the bestseller Games People Play (1964), founded TA. Thomas Harris’s I’m OK — You’re OK (1969) popularised it.

TA explains interpersonal behaviour as a sequence of transactions between ego states. A transaction is a single unit — a stimulus from one person + a response from the other.

19.3.1 The Three Ego States — PAC

TipThree ego states (Berne)
Ego state Source Behaviour cues Sample lines
Parent (P) Internalised parental figures Directive, judgmental, nurturing “You should …” · “Don’t …” · “It will be alright”
Adult (A) Rational, data-based Calm, evidence-driven “Let me check the data” · “I see two options”
Child (C) Recorded childhood feelings Emotional, playful, rebellious “Yay!” · “I want to” · “Not fair”

Parent has two sub-types — Critical / Controlling Parent and Nurturing Parent. Child has three sub-types — Natural / Free Child, Adapted Child, and Little Professor.

19.3.2 Types of Transactions

TipThree types of transactions
Type Arrows Outcome
Complementary Parallel arrows; same level Smooth communication continues
Crossed Crossed arrows; different level Communication breaks down
Ulterior Two arrows simultaneously — surface + hidden Manipulative, double-meaning
TipExamples
  • Complementary (Adult-Adult): “What time is the meeting?” → “Three o’clock.”
  • Complementary (Parent-Child): “How could you forget!” → “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
  • Crossed: “What time is the meeting?” → “Why do you always ask me last-minute?” (Adult stimulus, Parent response → crosses).
  • Ulterior: A car salesperson says “This is too expensive for you, sir” (Adult-Adult on surface; Parent-Child hidden) → triggers the customer’s Child to prove he can afford it.

19.3.3 Life Positions — Thomas Harris

Thomas Harris’s I’m OK — You’re OK (1969) gave the four life positions:

TipFour life positions
Position About me About others Mood
I’m OK — You’re OK Positive Positive Healthy, mature, productive
I’m OK — You’re Not OK Positive Negative Arrogant, mistrustful, blaming
I’m Not OK — You’re OK Negative Positive Depressed, withdrawn, dependent
I’m Not OK — You’re Not OK Negative Negative Hopeless, despairing

I’m OK — You’re OK is the healthy adult position; the other three are pathological. The journey of personal growth is toward I’m OK — You’re OK.

19.3.4 Strokes

A stroke in TA is a unit of recognition. Strokes can be:

  • Positive (smile, praise) vs Negative (frown, criticism).
  • Conditional (for doing) vs Unconditional (for being).
  • Verbal vs Non-verbal.

Berne’s famous claim: “Any stroke is better than no stroke” — even negative recognition is better than being ignored.

19.3.5 Games, Scripts and Time Structuring

TipBerne’s higher-level TA concepts
  • Games — repetitive ulterior transactions with a payoff in bad feelings. Examples from Games People Play: “Why don’t you — Yes but”, “Now I’ve got you, you SOB”, “Kick me”.
  • Scripts — life-plans formed in childhood that dictate behaviour. Three script types: winner, non-winner, loser.
  • Time structuring — six ways people fill time: Withdrawal · Rituals · Pastimes · Activities · Games · Intimacy.

19.3.6 Stages of TA Application

TipStages in applying TA
Stage Activity
Structural analysis Identify ego states (PAC)
Transactional analysis Analyse single transactions (C/Cr/U)
Game analysis Identify games being played
Script analysis Examine life scripts

19.4 FIRO-B — William Schutz (1958)

William Schutz’s FIRO-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation — Behaviour) measures interpersonal behaviour on three needs and two dimensions:

TipFIRO-B — three needs × two dimensions
Need Expressed (e) — initiate Wanted (w) — receive
Inclusion I include others I want to be included
Control I control others I want others to control
Affection I show affection I want affection

Scores range 0–9. A high eI + low wI indicates a person who initiates lots of inclusion but does not need to be included themselves. Udai Pareek’s Indian version is widely used.

19.5 Interpersonal Communication Skills

Building on Topic 3 (Communication), the key skills:

TipSix interpersonal communication skills
  • Active / Empathetic listening — Carl Rogers’s discipline of listening to understand.
  • Empathy — feeling with the other person.
  • Assertiveness — vs aggression vs passivity.
  • Constructive feedback — specific, timely, behaviour-focused.
  • Conflict management — Thomas-Kilmann modes.
  • Non-verbal awareness — kinesics, proxemics, paralanguage.
TipAssertion vs Aggression vs Passive
Style Posture Sample line Outcome
Passive Honour your needs; deny mine “Whatever you say” Resentment
Aggressive Honour my needs; deny yours “Just do as I say” Damaged relations
Passive-Aggressive Pretend agreement; resist covertly Procrastinate, complain to others Mistrust
Assertive Honour my needs and yours “I need X by Friday. Can you commit?” Win-win

19.6 Interpersonal Conflict Styles — Thomas-Kilmann

Covered fully in Topic 17. Recap: Competing · Collaborating · Compromising · Avoiding · Accommodating on the two axes of assertiveness × cooperativeness.

19.7 Practice Questions

Q 01 Johari Easy

The Johari Window is composed of how many panes?

  • A2
  • B3
  • C4
  • D6
View solution
Correct Option: C
Four panes: Open/Arena · Hidden/Façade · Blind Spot · Unknown.
Q 02 Johari authors Medium

The Johari Window was developed in 1955 by:

  • AJoseph Luft and Harrington Ingham
  • BEric Berne and Thomas Harris
  • CCarl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
  • DWilliam Schutz and David McClelland
View solution
Correct Option: A
Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham (1955) — name is a contraction of their first names.
Q 03 Johari panes Medium

In the Johari Window, the pane *known to others but not to self* is called:

  • AOpen / Arena
  • BHidden / Façade
  • CBlind spot
  • DUnknown
View solution
Correct Option: C
Blind spot — others see; you don't. Reduced via feedback.
Q 04 Johari shrinking Medium

Which two processes enlarge the *Open / Arena* pane?

  • ASelf-disclosure and feedback solicitation
  • BLying and concealment
  • CAggression and conformity
  • DAvoidance and compromise
View solution
Correct Option: A
Self-disclosure shrinks Hidden by *telling*; feedback solicitation shrinks Blind by *asking*. Both enlarge the Open / Arena.
Q 05 TA Easy

Transactional Analysis (TA) was founded by:

  • ACarl Rogers
  • BEric Berne
  • CSigmund Freud
  • DThomas Harris
View solution
Correct Option: B
Eric Berne, *Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy* (1961) and *Games People Play* (1964). Thomas Harris popularised it via *I'm OK — You're OK* (1969).
Q 06 Ego states Medium

Berne's three ego states are:

  • AId · Ego · Superego
  • BParent · Adult · Child
  • CConscious · Subconscious · Unconscious
  • DSender · Channel · Receiver
View solution
Correct Option: B
PAC — Parent · Adult · Child. Id-Ego-Superego is Freud's structural model — distinct from TA.
Q 07 Transaction types Medium

When a stimulus from one ego state gets a response from a *different* ego state — communication breaks down — the transaction is:

  • AComplementary
  • BCrossed
  • CUlterior
  • DCathartic
View solution
Correct Option: B
A crossed transaction breaks communication. Complementary keeps it flowing; ulterior has a hidden message.
Q 08 Life positions Medium

In TA, the *healthy adult* life position is:

  • AI'm OK — You're Not OK
  • BI'm Not OK — You're OK
  • CI'm Not OK — You're Not OK
  • DI'm OK — You're OK
View solution
Correct Option: D
I'm OK — You're OK is the productive, mature life position. The other three are pathological.
Q 09 Strokes Hard

In TA, a "stroke" is:

  • AA short verbal aggression
  • BAny unit of social recognition (verbal or non-verbal)
  • CA formal performance review
  • DA reinforcement schedule
View solution
Correct Option: B
A stroke = unit of social recognition — positive or negative, conditional or unconditional, verbal or non-verbal. Berne: "Any stroke is better than no stroke."
Q 10 Berne book Medium

Eric Berne's bestselling 1964 popularisation of TA was titled:

  • AI'm OK — You're OK
  • BGames People Play
  • CBorn to Win
  • DStaying OK
View solution
Correct Option: B
Games People Play (1964) by Berne. *I'm OK — You're OK* (1969) is by Thomas Harris; *Born to Win* (1971) is by Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward.
Q 11 Harris Medium

The book *I'm OK — You're OK* (1969) is by:

  • AEric Berne
  • BThomas Harris
  • CCarl Rogers
  • DMuriel James
View solution
Correct Option: B
Thomas A. Harris — popular extension of TA framework.
Q 12 FIRO-B Medium

FIRO-B measures three interpersonal needs. They are:

  • AInclusion · Control · Affection
  • BPower · Affiliation · Achievement
  • CAutonomy · Competence · Relatedness
  • DSafety · Esteem · Self-actualisation
View solution
Correct Option: A
William Schutz (1958) — Inclusion · Control · Affection, each on two dimensions (expressed and wanted).
Q 13 FIRO-B author Hard

FIRO-B was developed in 1958 by:

  • AWilliam Schutz
  • BEric Berne
  • CUdai Pareek
  • DDavid McClelland
View solution
Correct Option: A
William Schutz at the US Naval Research Laboratory (1958). Udai Pareek adapted the instrument for India.
Q 14 Style Medium

A communication style that honours one's own needs *and* others' needs is:

  • AAggressive
  • BPassive
  • CAssertive
  • DPassive-aggressive
View solution
Correct Option: C
Assertiveness — honouring both one's own needs and the other person's needs. Aggression denies the other's needs; passivity denies one's own.
Q 15 Active listening Medium

The discipline of *empathetic / active listening* is most associated with:

  • ACarl Rogers
  • BB.F. Skinner
  • CEric Berne
  • DCarl Jung
View solution
Correct Option: A
Carl Rogers — non-directive, empathetic, active listening.
Q 16 Ulterior Hard

An **ulterior** transaction in TA is one in which:

  • ABoth messages are at the same ego state level
  • BThere is a surface message and a hidden message at different ego state levels
  • CThe conversation ends immediately
  • DOnly non-verbal signals are exchanged
View solution
Correct Option: B
An ulterior transaction has a *surface* message at one level (often Adult-Adult) and a *hidden* message at another (often Parent-Child) — manipulative, double-meaning.
Q 17 Child sub-types Hard

In TA, the *Child* ego state has three sub-types: Free / Natural Child, Adapted Child, and:

  • ACritical Child
  • BLittle Professor
  • CRebel Child
  • DWounded Child
View solution
Correct Option: B
Child sub-types: Free/Natural · Adapted · Little Professor. The Parent has *Critical* and *Nurturing* sub-types.
Q 18 Time structuring Hard

Which is *not* one of Berne's six ways of structuring time?

  • AWithdrawal
  • BRituals
  • CIntimacy
  • DMeditation
View solution
Correct Option: D
Berne's six: Withdrawal · Rituals · Pastimes · Activities · Games · Intimacy. Meditation is not on the list.
Q 19 Self-disclosure Medium

Disclosing information about yourself to others (telling) shrinks which Johari pane?

  • AOpen
  • BBlind
  • CHidden / Façade
  • DUnknown
View solution
Correct Option: C
Self-disclosure ("telling") shrinks the Hidden / Façade. Feedback solicitation ("asking") shrinks the *Blind*. Both enlarge the Open / Arena.
Q 20 Match concepts Hard

Match the concept with its author:

(i) Johari Window (a) Schutz
(ii) Transactional Analysis (b) Luft & Ingham
(iii) I'm OK — You're OK (c) Eric Berne
(iv) FIRO-B (d) Thomas Harris
  • A(i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(a)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
  • C(i)-(c), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(a)
  • D(i)-(d), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(b)
View solution
Correct Option: A
Johari — Luft & Ingham; TA — Berne; I'm OK — You're OK — Harris; FIRO-B — Schutz.

19.7.1 Advanced Format Questions

AR 1Assertion-ReasonHard

A: TA's three ego states are Parent, Adult, Child.
R: Berne developed TA as games-based therapy.

  • ABoth true; R explains A
  • BBoth true; R does not explain A
  • CA true, R false
  • DA false, R true
View solution
Correct Option: B
AR 2Assertion-ReasonMedium

A: Johari window improves self-awareness.
R: Luft & Ingham named it from "Joe + Harry".

  • ABoth true; R explains A
  • BBoth true; R does not explain A
  • CA true, R false
  • DA false, R true
View solution
Correct Option: B
S 1Statement-basedMedium

TA transactions: (i) Complementary. (ii) Crossed. (iii) Ulterior. (iv) Direct.

  • A(i), (ii), (iii) only
  • BAll four
  • C(i) only
  • D(ii) and (iv) only
View solution
Correct Option: A
S 2Statement-basedHard

Johari window quadrants: (i) Open. (ii) Blind. (iii) Hidden. (iv) Unknown.

  • AAll four
  • B(i) and (ii) only
  • C(iii) and (iv) only
  • D(i), (ii), (iii) only
View solution
Correct Option: A

19.8 Quick Recall

ImportantQuick recall
  • Johari Window (Luft & Ingham 1955) — 4 panes: Open/Arena · Hidden/Façade · Blind · Unknown. Two processes: self-disclosure (shrinks Hidden) + feedback solicitation (shrinks Blind). Goal: enlarge the Arena.
  • 4 interpersonal styles by self-disclosure × feedback: Turtle · Interviewer · Bull · Effective.
  • Transactional Analysis (Eric Berne 1961, Games People Play 1964) — three ego states (PAC): Parent (Critical / Nurturing) · Adult · Child (Free / Adapted / Little Professor).
  • 3 transaction types: Complementary · Crossed · Ulterior.
  • 4 life positions (Thomas Harris 1969 I’m OK — You’re OK): healthy is I’m OK — You’re OK.
  • Strokes — units of recognition. Berne: “Any stroke is better than no stroke.”
  • Time structuring (6 ways): Withdrawal · Rituals · Pastimes · Activities · Games · Intimacy.
  • Stages of TA: Structural · Transactional · Game · Script analysis.
  • FIRO-B (William Schutz 1958) — 3 interpersonal needs (Inclusion · Control · Affection) × 2 dimensions (Expressed · Wanted).
  • Interpersonal skills: Active listening (Carl Rogers) · Empathy · Assertiveness (vs Aggression vs Passive vs Passive-Aggressive) · Constructive feedback · Conflict management · Non-verbal awareness.