25/04/2025
The Parent-Adult-Child Triangle in TA
In Transactional Analysis (TA), the PAC model represents the three major ego states that make up a person’s personality. These are not literal people inside us, but modes of thinking, feeling, and behaving that we switch between depending on context.
1. Parent Ego State (Inner Parent)
Function: Acts like a voice of authority or guidance.
Influences: Formed from parental figures and authority figures in early life.
Two types:
Nurturing Parent: Supportive, caring, protective.
Critical Parent: Judgmental, rule-enforcing, sometimes limiting.
Inner Parent: This is the internalized voice that offers structure, discipline, or comfort based on early influences.
2. Adult Ego State (Inner Adult)
Function: Processes information logically and makes rational decisions.
Influences: Responds to the present moment, independent of past emotional imprints.
Inner Adult: The grounded part of us that can assess a situation, problem-solve, and make objective choices.
3. Child Ego State (Inner Child)
Function: Expresses emotions, creativity, and instinctual reactions.
Influences: Formed from early childhood experiences.
Two types:
Free Child: Spontaneous, joyful, creative.
Adapted Child: Compliant or rebellious, shaped by reactions to parenting.
Inner Child: This is the emotional, sensitive part that holds our joy, fear, and vulnerability.
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