What does Structure Analysis in Transactional Analysis primarily examine?

• A. Ego states and the transactions between them.
• B. Life script and script messages.
• C. Unconscious drives and archetypes.
• D. Nonverbal cues and body language.

Answer: (A)

Structure Analysis examines how a person’s internal states drive communication by mapping which ego state is sending a message and which ego state in the other person is receiving it. In Transactional Analysis, the three ego states—Parent, Adult, and Child—shape how we think, feel, and respond, and Structure Analysis looks at the transactions that flow between these states. The focus is on identifying whether interactions are complementary (each party responding from the expected ego state), crossed (a mismatch that leads to miscommunication), or ulterior (messages with hidden meanings). This helps explain patterns in interpersonal interactions and where friction originates, by tracing the source of messages to their internal origin rather than surface behavior alone. Life script and script messages belong to Script Analysis, which studies the life plans learned in childhood, not the structural flow of transactions. Unconscious drives or archetypes come from other theoretical frameworks, not the structural focus of TA. Nonverbal cues may influence communication, but the primary concern of Structure Analysis is the alignment and exchange between ego states during interactions.