The psychological games that people play are similar to board or card games that are played at any social gathering – they all have a set or rules, a beginning and a concluding payoff. However, psychological games are usually associated with ulterior motives.

Eric Berne defines a psychological games as “a recurring set of transactions, often repetitive, superficially rational, with a concealed motivation; or more colloquially, as a series of transactions with a gimmick.” Some games are limited to the language used; others such as life games depend on the actions of the players.

The Elements of a Psychological Game

According to James and Jongeward there are three specific elements that must be present to define a transaction as a game. These are: