Which description best characterizes the 'Parent' ego state?

• A. A set of automatic, irrational rules.
• B. Source of childlike feelings.
• C. A rational, adult problem-solving approach.
• D. Learned attitudes and rules from caregivers.

Answer: (D)

In transactional analysis, the Parent ego state holds the attitudes, beliefs, and rules you internalized from caregivers during childhood. It acts as an internal voice that tells you how things should be, based on what your parents or other authority figures taught you. This state can show up as nurturing and protective, or as critical and controlling, depending on the messages you absorbed. The reason this description is the best match is that it directly points to the origin (caregivers) and the content (learned attitudes and rules) that shape how you respond automatically in various situations. The other shifts describe different sources of behavior—feelings and spontaneity (Child) or present-day rational problem-solving (Adult)—which is why they don’t capture the defining source of the Parent as accurately.