CTA Script Analysis & Life Positions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the five 'driver' behaviors identified by Taibi Kahler suggests perfectionism as a core script theme?
- Hurry Up
- Please Others
- Be Perfect (Correct answer)
- Try Hard
Correct answer: Be Perfect
The 'Be Perfect' driver manifests as perfectionism, excessive self-criticism, and fear of making mistakes as a way to feel acceptable.
Question 2: What is a 'script decision' in transactional analysis?
- A therapist's treatment plan decision
- A conclusion a child makes about themselves and the world in response to early experiences (Correct answer)
- A client's decision to enter therapy
- A legal term in TA
Correct answer: A conclusion a child makes about themselves and the world in response to early experiences
A script decision is a conclusion the child makes about themselves, others, and the world in response to early experiences, especially in the presence of injunctions.
Question 3: What is the 'script payoff' or tragic ending of a life script?
- A positive therapeutic outcome
- The final outcome that confirms and fulfills the life script (Correct answer)
- A celebration at therapy completion
- A relapse prevention strategy
Correct answer: The final outcome that confirms and fulfills the life script
The script payoff is the final outcome of the life script that confirms its core decisions, such as chronic depression, relationship failures, or self-destruction.
Question 4: In TA, what does the term 'autonomy' represent as a therapeutic goal?
- Independence from the therapist
- The recovery of awareness, spontaneity, and capacity for intimacy free from script (Correct answer)
- Self-employment after therapy
- Having no emotional needs
Correct answer: The recovery of awareness, spontaneity, and capacity for intimacy free from script
Autonomy in TA means the recovery of three capacities — awareness, spontaneity, and intimacy — that were suppressed by script decisions.
Question 5: What is a 'hamartic script' (or tragic script) in TA?
- A script that ends in achievement
- A script that leads to destructive outcomes for oneself or others (Correct answer)
- A type of game
- A cultural script
Correct answer: A script that leads to destructive outcomes for oneself or others
A hamartic script is a life script that leads to tragic or destructive outcomes, such as suicide, murder, or other self-defeating endpoints.
Question 6: How does 'script redecision' work in TA therapy?
- The therapist rewrites the client's story
- The client revises early script decisions in a corrective emotional experience (Correct answer)
- A new treatment contract is written
- The client memorizes new beliefs
Correct answer: The client revises early script decisions in a corrective emotional experience
Script redecision involves the client re-experiencing and revising early script decisions in a corrective emotional experience, often using two-chair work or regression techniques.
CTA Script Analysis & Life Positions 2
Which of the five 'driver' behaviors identified by Taibi Kahler suggests perfectionism as a core script theme?