Journal of Health Care and Research
ISSN: 2582-8967
Article Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.36502/2024/hcr.6237
J Health Care and Research. 2024 Oct 21;5(2):57-61

Latest Status of Egogram in University Students using Tokyo University Egogram (TEG)

Tomohiro Yokoyama¹, Hiroshi Bando^2iD*
1Dept. of Science and Technology, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
²Medical Research/Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan

Corresponding Author: Hiroshi Bando ^{ORCID iD}
Address: Tokushima University /Medical Research, Nakashowa 1-61, Tokushima 770-0943, Japan.
Received date: 11 September 2024; Accepted date: 14 October 2024; Published date: 21 October 2024

Citation: Yokoyama T, Bando H. Latest Status of Egogram in University Students using Tokyo University Egogram (TEG). J Health Care and Research. 2024 Oct 21;5(2):57-61.

Copyright © 2024 Yokoyama T, Bando H. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords: Tokyo University Egogram, Transactional Analysis, Dominant Child (C) Type, AC-Dominant (Dependent) Type, Mental Health

Abbreviations: TEG: Tokyo University Egogram; TA: Transactional Analysis

Abstract

The Tokyo University Egogram (TEG) has been recognized as a valuable psychological tool for transactional analysis (TA). TEG has been revised from version 2 to version 3, and the authors have investigated its use in research involving university students. The key findings were as follows: a high prevalence of AC-dominant (dependent) types, a high occurrence of CP-low (gentle) types, dominant child (C) types were more common than parent (P) types, and few cases of A-dominant types were observed, regardless of whether students were in the science and technology departments. The occurrence rate of composite types was low, while that of single ego factors was high. First-year students tended to exhibit low CP and high AC, indicating a need for lifestyle guidance.

Introduction

For decades, our daily lives have been influenced by various stressors from bio-psycho-social perspectives. Human relationships have been evaluated as a crucial factor for people working with others. As a result, the field of psychosomatic medicine and its practical application has become increasingly important. Egogram studies have gained significance, and international organizations such as the United Kingdom Association for Transactional Analysis (UKATA) have recently developed educational programs. Consequently, novel registered specialists, such as Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analysts (PTSTA), have been introduced, and future advancements in practical psychology are expected [1].

From the perspective of psychological practice, transactional analysis (TA) has been a successful area of research. TA was initiated by Dr. Berne based on personality trait theory [2]. It evaluates and addresses human communication through the egogram, which includes three ego states: Parent, Adult, and Child, as represented by the PAC model [3]. Among the various egogram measures, the Tokyo University Egogram (TEG) was developed in Japan and is widely used there [4,5]. TEG has proven useful in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, mental health, and educational settings [6].

The authors have studied university students and have published several reports on TEG version 2 [5]. Following this, TEG version 3 was developed with appropriate questions tailored to the younger generation [7]. TEG version 3 is known for its usefulness and simplicity, taking approximately 10 minutes to complete and calculate the results. We have continued to study university students using TEG and are actively researching its application [8]. In this article, the latest results of TEG version 3 among university students will be presented, along with insights into the differences between versions 2 and 3.

Subjects and Methods

The authors have conducted workshops on egogram analysis for new students shortly after their admission to Tokushima University. This project has been ongoing for more than 10 years [9]. In our previous reports, TEG version 2 was used for several years, while TEG version 3 was applied as the new version from 2020 to 2023 [7].

The participants were freshmen (n=51), aged 18-19, majoring in Science and Technology. We provided them with a valuable opportunity to understand their personality traits. The methods included the use of TEG version 2 (2010-2019) and TEG version 3 (2020-2023). TEG version 3 was administered in July 2023, and the TEG workshop was successfully conducted. The evaluation and calculation for each participant were carried out as per the usual procedure.

Results

The results of the current study, along with previous data, are shown in Table-1. The key findings are as follows:

1. The occurrence rate of AC-dominant (dependent) types remains high. The value obtained for 2023 fell between those for 2021 and 2022.
2. The occurrence rate of CP-low (gentle) types also tends to be high. The value obtained for 2023 was similar to that for 2021.
3. The value obtained for child (childish) types was higher than that for parent (parent-like) types.
4. In general, the occurrence rate of composite types has been low. In most cases, each type was determined by a single ego factor.
5. The current subjects were first-year university students majoring in science and technology. Despite being science students, there were surprisingly few cases indicating A-dominant types, while cases of A-low (dreamy) types were also observed.

Table-1: Results of the Egogram Types

Discussion

As a reliable psychological tool, TEG has been applied in medical practice, the economic sector, and educational settings [10]. TEG has also been used in peer support programs for school students, who completed the Adaptation Scale for School Environments on Six Spheres (ASSESS) questionnaire three times a year [11]. This has provided positive benefits for self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, school adaptation, and mental health.

Considering the overall results, some characteristics are noticeable. The occurrence rates of composite types are low, with the vast majority of various types determined by a single ego. This is thought to result from differences between the previous egogram version 2 and the current version 3 [12]. In version 2, each type was classified based on single and composite egos, which caused a wider distribution of results. In contrast, version 3 showed a high frequency of single ego classifications and a low frequency of composite egos. These results suggest significant changes in the measurement methods between version 2 and version 3.

The authors have continued regular communication with the subjects, who were first-year university students, and observed the following. These students had only recently graduated from high school and begun university life. They have not been independent for long, and their psychological state still seems to be dominated by the child ego (C), with the CP and A factors not yet fully developed [13]. As a result, they may struggle with strict judgments. Their logical thinking abilities are still insufficient, making them more susceptible to external influences when making decisions.

In support of these observations, several related behaviors can be seen in their campus lives. Since the CP factor is low, they may not feel much resistance to missing deadlines or breaking rules [8]. With a high AC factor, they tend to follow the behavior of those around them, even when that behavior is lenient. This tendency may lead to negative habits and actions. Therefore, rather than indulging them, it is necessary to provide strict guidance each time inappropriate behavior occurs.

There may be some limitations to this report. The sample size is small, and the data may not reflect broader trends. To provide more accurate interpretations, we will continue this TEG research project at the university. Additionally, we plan to study various participants, including patients with illnesses, to further explore mental health applications [14].

In summary, the latest results using TEG version 3 were presented here. The comparison between versions 2 and 3 showed that first-year university students exhibited higher levels of FC and AC personality traits in the child ego [17]. We hope that this report serves as a useful reference for egogram research and contributes to the advancement of psychology.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Funding

There was no funding received for this paper.

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