Transactional analysis (TA) is a method for understanding behavior and improving communication. It views a person as having three ego states - Parent, Adult, and Child. The Parent ego state is rule-oriented and judgmental. The Adult ego state approaches problems logically and objectively. The Child ego state experiences emotions and desires. Effective communication involves complementary exchanges between different ego states. People seek recognition or "strokes" from interactions, and transactions can be complementary, crossed, or covert.