CTA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CTA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. In TA, what does the 'Adapted Child' ego state represent? → The child's learned responses to parental and environmental demands
2. Eric Berne identified how many ways people structure their time? → Six
3. What is the most scripted and superficial form of social time structuring according to Berne? → Rituals
4. Why is client autonomy emphasized in TA contracting? → Because TA views clients as capable adults who decide their own goals and direction
5. According to Berne, when are most life script decisions made? → In early childhood, typically before age 7
6. What characterizes a 'good' therapeutic contract in TA according to Claude Steiner's criteria? → It must be specific, measurable, achievable, legal, and involve mutual consent
7. Which time structure carries the highest level of psychological risk according to TA theory? → Intimacy
8. How does body language influence communication patterns? → It enhances or undermines verbal messages
9. What is the clinical significance of exploring a client's 'favorite story' or 'hero' in TA script analysis? → It reveals core script themes, values, and the anticipated life outcome
10. What is the basic psychological position I'm OK, You're OK associated with? → Healthy self-esteem and genuine respect for others
11. How does 'discounting' relate to racket feelings in TA? → Discounting authentic feelings leads to the substitution of racket feelings in their place
12. What is the 'payoff' of a psychological game in TA? → The negative feeling that confirms the player's script at the game's conclusion
13. In the Drama Triangle, what characterizes the 'Rescuer' role? → Appearing to help while actually maintaining the Victim's helplessness
14. In the game 'Wooden Leg,' what is the primary purpose for the player? → To use a disability or limitation as an excuse to avoid adult responsibilities
15. What is a complementary transaction? → Expected and matching response between ego states
16. What is 'ego state shifting' and why is it important in TA? → Moving between ego states flexibly based on context, indicating psychological health
17. What is the purpose of analyzing 'games' in TA? → Understand and change negative interaction patterns
18. What is the role of 'treatment direction' in TA therapy? → The overarching therapeutic aim toward script change and autonomy
19. In transactional analysis, what is a 'life script'? → An unconscious life plan decided in childhood based on early experiences
20. What is the 'witch message' or 'curse' in script theory? → The most destructive injunction that prescribes the script's tragic ending
21. What term describes a predictable response to a stimulus? → Patterned response
22. What is a 'gold stamp' versus a 'brown stamp' in TA? → Gold stamps are stored positive feelings; brown stamps are stored negative feelings
23. What is 'exclusion' in ego state theory? → When one ego state chronically blocks others from being expressed
24. Which theorist primarily developed and introduced the concept of autonomy in TA? → Eric Berne
25. In TA, what is the significance of identifying which ego state a client is in during a session? → It guides the therapist in choosing appropriate interventions to facilitate change
26. What is a 'psychological-level contract' in TA treatment planning? → The deeper, often implicit agreement that reflects the client's script and resistance
27. Which are the three ego states in Transactional Analysis? → Parent, Adult, Child
28. Which subdivision of the Parent ego state tends to offer care, support, and encouragement? → Nurturing Parent
29. What is 'consent' in the context of TA therapeutic contracts? → The client's informed, voluntary agreement to the therapeutic goals and methods
30. In TA theory, achieving autonomy fundamentally requires releasing oneself from: → Script-based life decisions made in childhood