RoboCounsellor

Diagram courtesy of Wikipedia

Games

Games here do not refer to the normal games like tennis or football, or video games. They refer to psychological games which people play, that are extensions of ulterior transactions. If allowed to, they progress to a definite outcome. Two important elements of this kind of game are:

• a hidden agenda
• a negative payoff

Without both the hidden agenda and the negative payoff — at least an intended negative payoff — the activity isn't a game in this sense.

For example, one of the games Berne mentions he calls "Indigence." Here, a person has been on the books of a "care" agency for some time. He picks up welfare payments for being unemployed. The agency is paid by the government on the basis of how many unemployed people it has on its books. Both the individual and the agency are happy with the status quo. Both sides pretend that the person is looking for work, and go through the motions with each other, but no actual gainful employment results. The negativity is the fact that the person is being encouraged to be lazy; the arrangement is dishonest; and taxpayers money is being wasted.

The payoff may include feelings of hurt and satisfaction. For example:

"Hey Joe, You want to come out with the boys tonight for a drink and spend some of your bonus?" (Straight communication)
— "Oh no, you go, I've got to stay in and look after my sick goldfish" (which isn't even really sick). (Hidden Child communication is "I'm not really worthy of you guys. I would like you to insist and pull me up out of my funk, but I can't do that by myself")
"OK Joe, fair enough, see you later." (Straight communication)
— (Nobly, and sadly) "Bye. "(Grim satisfaction at being proved right yet again).

Structural Analysis overview
Parent/Adult/Child ego states
Transactions
Games