A Clinical Study of Egograms by Means of Questionnaires

Abstract

Transactional Analysis is now being used quite extensively as one of the therapeutic methods in psychosomatic medicine. The egogram is of great usefulness in transactional analysis. A profile of an individual is shown on an egogram, where egostates are classified as Paternal Parent, Adult, Free Child and Adapted Child. This diagram is useful in showing which egostates dominate the individual's personality.We made a clinical application of egograms which had been drawn up from questionnaires filled in by the patients. We adopted the theories of Sugita, M., M.S.W. in most of the items of the questionnaires, although slight modifications were made in them.Egograms were drawn up for each of 121 normal subjects and 108 patients with psychosomatic diseases.The results were as follows : (1) There was no marked difference between male and female subjects.(2) No marked difference was found according to ages.(3) Compared with the egograms of normal subjects, those of the patients showed higher readings on the Adapted Child scale.(4) However, in some cases, the Adapted Child scales gradually fell as the result of psychosomatic treatment such as autogenic training and behavior thrapies.We think that the egogram can perform a useful function in linking intellectural awareness aquired through transactional analysis with the desired behavior modifications by means of behavior therapies.