The effectiveness of transactional analysis on mother's parenting styles

Authentic and balanced relationships between parents and children are one of the effective factors in children’s well-being and mental health. Transactional analysis is considered a comprehensive communication theory about personality and can help parents deal with their children. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of transactional analysis on maternal parenting styles. The design of this study was of a quasi-experimental type with pre-test, post-test and control group. 30 mothers participated in this study, assigned to experimental and control groups (15 each). The experimental group were trained in eight 90 minute sessions of trancactional analysis. To collect the research data, the Baumrind Parenting Style Inventory (PSI) was administered to both groups before and after the intervention. Results revealed that mothers in the experimental group scored higher in the authoritative style and lower in authoritarian and permissive styles in their post test. It can be concluded that trancactional analysis training may have helped mothers in controling their emotions and sorting to adult relationships instead of scolding their children.