~f[ll~n III: SCIENTIFIC
PASSIVITY
AARON WOLFE SCHIFF, B.A.
JACQUI LEE SCHIFF, M.S.S.W.
This f.lper represents the culmination
of several years research on passivity car-
ried on at the Schiff Rehabilitation Proj-
ect. In the past we have failed with
certain patients when, even with very
concerted effort, we were unable to inter-
rupt a pattern of passive behavior; for
some time we have been aware that we
must in some way be supporting or rein-
forcing the passivity.
In the summer of 1969 we witnessed
a dramatic resolution to psychosis in a
hebephrenic patient; what Eric Berne de-
scribed as "a flip-in." Much of our inves-
tigation since that time has focused on
the several hebephrenic patients who have
been available to us. The findings have
been confirmed as consistent with path-
ology as demonstrated in paranoia, undif-
ferentiated schizophrenia, manic-depres-
sive psychosis, depressions, hysteria, and
other psycho-neurotic disorders where
passive-aggressive or passive-dependent
behaviors are significantly present. We
have not yet established these findings as
significant wit h catatonic, character-
disordered, or obsessive-compulsive pa-
tients due to the lack of patients with these
diagnoses in our program.
The identification of the complex of
behaviors which we are treating as part of
a passivity syndrome seems to have far-
reaching implications for the treatment of
psychosis. We are presently undertaking
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
PAPERS
a renovation of our entire treatment ap-
proach with both residential and out-
patients as a result of these findings.
SYMBIOSIS
Symbiosis is a normal condition of the
oral stage in the development of a child.
It is experienced by both the mother and
the child as a merging or sharing of their
needs. An example of normal symbiosis
is a mother who normally sleeps soundly
but wakes easily when her infant cries;
if nursing, she is likely to begin lactating.
As the child grows he identifies himself
as feeling, thinking, and solving problems
independently, therefore as a separate
individual. It would appear that the func-
tion of the symbiosis is to insure the
infants' survival "during a period when he
is completely dependent.
Pathology is likely to result from dis-
turbances in the symbiotic relationship
(examples, separation, unresponsiveness),
or in the differentiation of the child from
the mother (examples, neglect or over-
protection). It is also likely to occur in
instances where parenting is inadequate
to prepare the child to function ~ an
independent person who can solve prob-
lems in the world. "
All games develop out of unresolved
symbiotic relationships with discounting
as the mechanism and grandiosity as the
71

justification. They represent a re-enact-
ment of the symbiotic relationship in an
attempt to get taken care of, or reacting
to the symbiotic relationship with anger.
The exact moves in the game are learned
in the parent-child relationship and re-
inforce the symbiosis.
The structure of a symbiosis is as fol-
lows, with the combined ego states which
,..--..
( p \
\ )
(
>-<
A \
\ )
(0
Person No.1 Person No.2
are typical of transactions between two
individuals resulting in the structure of
one total personality. The purpose of the
passivity is to maintain the non-function-
ing of those ego states which would chal-
lenge the dependency contract.
When the passivity begins to break
down there may be a competition for the
dependent Child position in the symbi-
osis. Since both individuals are relatively
unaware of alternatives to symbiosis, the
competition is perceived as a struggle for
survival, the issue being existence versus
non-existence.
The functions of the Child may also
be divided up between two individuals,
the contract being that when Ci is cath-
ected, C~ will cathect P or A. Example:
Joe gets a headache and Jane, who never
gets headaches, cathects her Parent to
take care of him or to criticize his weak-
ness. However, Jane, who is inclined to
drink too much, can always depend on
Joe to take care of her and drive home
from parties. The symbiosis can also be
extended to children within the family.
72
PASSIVITY
Example: the mother, when asked how
Johnny gets along in the 4th grade, re-
sponds, "Oh, he doesn't do very well in
school- Jimmy is the studious one,"
and continues to respond to questions by
attributing characteristics to each young-
ster in a definitive way. In one instance
a mother in a symbiotic family was asked
to write out a developmental history of
her son. She described all of his devel-
opment, "He talked earlier than his
brother but was toilet trained later," with
no external reference for either of the
children; thus, definitions in such families
occur only within the symbiosis, with no
reference to external reality, and with all
characteristics identified as extreme, i.e.,
Johnny and Jimmy may have similar
intelligence but Jimmy is defined as intel-
ligent and Johnny as outgoing or artistic.
In this situation Johnny is scripted not to
achieve academically (to do so would be
fratricide) and Jimmy may not have
friends or be creative.
The transactions within the symbiotic
relationship are structured to maintain the
symbiotic cathexis. Example: Joe says,
from Child, "I need a ride to the depot."
Sam says, "What time is your train?" Joe
tells him, and Sam says, "Okay, I can
take you then." Neither of them notice
that Joe has not asked Sam for a ride.
Moreover, should it become necessary for
him to do so, Joe would become very
uncomfortable. He has structured his
transactions with other people in such a
way as to decrease the probability of a
Child-s-Child transaction. Asking a direct
question or making a request recognizes
the existence of the other person and is
likely to precipitate a Child-s-Child re-
sponse. If he is required to ask a direct
question, the symbiosis would be threat-
ened, and Joe is likely to become agitated.
Thus, when there is a symbiosis, it
becomes apparent that transactions are
structured so that it is difficult or unlikely
for the response to be from the same ego
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
AARON WOLFE SCHIFF & JACQUI LEE SCHIFF
state as was cathected in the initial trans-
action. Many patients will begin acting
crazy as an alternative to transactions
which threaten the symbiosis.
DISCOUNTING
Discounting is the functional manifes-
tation of either a contamination or an
exclusion. The person who discounts
believes, or acts as though he believes,
that his feelings about what someone else
has said, done, or felt, are more significant
that what that person actually said, did
or felt. He does not use information
relevant to a situation.
There are four possible ways to dis-
count.
( I) Discount the problem. Example:
The baby is crying. The mother turns up
the radio or goes to sleep.
(2) Discount the significance of the
problem. Example: The baby is crying.
The mother says, "He always cries this
time of the day."
(3) Discount the solvability of the
problem. Example: The baby is crying.
The mother says, "Nothing satisfies him!"
(4) Discount the person. Example:
The baby is crying. The mother says,
"There's nothing I can do!"
In our program we bypass analyzing
games by confronting the discount, which
is identifiable as the initial unstraight
transaction and is the point at which the
patient's Adult ceases to be aware of
what is happening. Recathecting the Adult
in this transaction effectively stops the
game at a time when the patient is in
touch with the feeling motivating the be-
havior.
GRANDIOSITY
Grandiosity provides the justification
for the maintenance of the symb. .sis. It
involves a purposeful exaggeration, which
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
may be one of the characteristics of the
self, or may be projected into the environ-
ment (distortion of characteristics of per-
sons or situations). The grandiosity always
compensates feelings of inadequacy and
prevents the establishment of tenable
goals by providing a flexible reality in
which the patient can never effectively
achieve or fail.
The thinking which underlies grandi-
osity includes a delusional "I can't stand
it" position, which can be identified
through such remarks as, "I was petrified
with fright," "He lost control," "It hurt
so much I couldn't think," "I did it be-
cause I was so mad." The patient takes
no responsibility for the decisions in-
volved in specific situations and describes
the situations as responsible for the be-
havior.
PASSIVE BEHAVIORS
We have identified four behaviors as
passive: (I) doing nothing relevant to
solving the problem; (2) over-adaptation;
(3) agitation; and (4) incapacitation or
violence.
1. Doing Nothing
In a situation where there is a problem
and the response is passively doing
nothing (as opposed to cathecting Adult
and deciding to do nothing), all of the
patient's energy is utilized in inhibiting
responses. The Child is executive and
contamination is motivated by an attempt
to maintain the symbiosis (thus the issue
is survival). Patients report "not think-
ing," "I can't think," "I was too scared
to think," while doing nothing. For the
observer, very little thinking can be
identified. Patients report that they main-
tain an awareness of their own identity,
and are uncomfortable. Anyone trying to
transact with the passive person gets in-
volved with the symbiosis.
The paradigm case of doing nothing is
73

described in Brer Rabbit's encounter with
the Tar Baby. After several unsuccess-
ful attempts to elicit a response, Brer
Rabbit hits the Tar Baby and gets stuck
in the tar.
Example: Joe says to Jane, "I'm mad
about your doing that!" Jane looks
stricken, but does not respond. After an
interval of waiting, Joe becomes acutely
uncomfortable and begins to have im-
pulses to rescue her.
2. Over-Adaptation
Over-adaptation is the one of the pas-
sive behaviors which is most difficult to
identify; it is also the most adaptive to
the situation; therefore it is most likely to
be reinforced. It occurs when the indi-
vidual does not identify a goal for himself
in attempting to solve a problem but tries
to achieve what he believes to be some-
one else's goal. Grandiosity is projected
onto what he believes to be the other per-
son's expectation, thus defining the prob-
lem as unsolvable and the expectation as
unreasonable.
An example of this behavior occurred
with a physician who worked in an emer-
gency service. The hospital administration
complained that the physician was too
slow in processing patients. The physician
responded by feeling defensive, and in his
head he built a case against the adminis-
tration in which he maintained that they
had no real concern for the welfare of
patients and that good medical practice
required more time per patient than they
were willing to allow. In trying to hurry
up, in conformity to their goals, he be-
came increasingly agitated and inefficient.
When he established as a goal for himself
that he should not get fired from his po-
sition, he was able to begin to think
productively about ways to process pa-
tients more efficiently without sacrificing
medical standards.
Over-adaptation is the passive behavior
in which the most thinking occurs. While
74
PASSIVITY
the person is over-adapted he can be given
information about his behavior, and offer
a great deal of objective data about his
abilities and capacities. It is difficult,
while over-adapted, to continue discount-
ing when the passivity is confronted.
Therefore, this position is the most ac-
cessible to treatment.
We consider that we need to do a great
deal more work in understanding the
implications of over-adaption and how
it disrupts and enhances problem-solving.
3. Agitation
Agitation is likely to occur between
over-adaptation and violence. It consists
of repetitive activities which are purpose-
less or non - goal directed. The agitated
individual is acutely uncomfortable and
thinking is confused. The patient is trying
frantically to defend the symbiosis against
a threat; he knows he could solve the
problem by "doing something" but feels
inadequate. A Parental injunction, "Sit
down and think about it," stated firmly
and calmly, or stroking from the Parent
position, is likely to restore over-adapta-
tion. If there is pressure to "do some-
thing" the patient is likely to become
violent (incapacitated).
We do not know a way to cathect the
patient's Adult while he is agitated; the
recommended procedure is to restore the
over- adaptation to avert violence. The
seriousness of the agitated behavior
should not be underestimated.
Grandiosity is supported by the belief
that the activity is productive. Example:
The patient thinks he is accomplishing
something by pacing the floor. Actually
he is working up hysteria in the direction
of a violent or incapacitating discharge of
energy.
4. Incapacitation or Violence
Incapacitation or violence occurs in the
discharge of energy built up from pas-
sivity, and is an attempt to enforce the
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
AARON WOLFE SCHIFF & JACQUI LEE SCHIFF
symbiosis at the time of breakdown. No
thinking can be identified. The patient
accepts no responsibility for the behavior.
Following the discharge of energy, the
Adult is likely to be cathectable. Violence
involves a switch in the game position,
whereas incapacitation mayor may not
involve a switch (Karpman's triangle).
Both incapacitation and violence are pay-
offs in the "I can't stand it" game, thus
grandiose.
TREATMENT
Reinforcing anyone of the four passive
behax iors involves reinforcing the com-
plex. Frequently there is environmental
support for several or all of the behaviors;
at present we are working on the
assumption that intervention must come
from the environment in order to resolve
the passivity.
A very common reaction to passivity
is for the respondent to become more
passive than the initiator. Example:
"Well, I just won't talk to him until he
says something first." "I don't want any-
thing to do with you until you stop that!"
This is the most common defense people
utilize to protect themselves from the dis-
cornfor t of taking the active position in
a symbiotic transaction; it is not tenable
as a way of breaking down passivity. We
have tested this out many times and have
always found that attempting to out-
passive a passive person only re-inforces
the pathology. The passive person needs
to learn that his environment can and wiII
demand active participation and problem-
solving from him in order to break down
the grandiosity.
To disrupt the symbiosis the passive
individual must be made more uncom-
fortable (responsible for his feelings)
than he can make anyone else. This is
done by consistently confronting the dis-
count at a level which cannot be ignored
or acted on symbiotically. We are pres-
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
ently using negative strokes (disapproval
and punishment) and attempt to escalate
over the grandiosity. The patient is most
likely to say, "I don't care," or, "You
can't make me," and it seems essential
to find ways to deal with this.
The first discount is consistently con-
fronted in an attempt to avoid the indi-
vidual's getting into the game. The passive
person is expected to give a straight
answer as to why he was discounting, and
to take account of his feelings, and the
feelings of other people involved (which
must be determined in transactions with
them). It is extremely important that all
three factors (1) the situation, (2) his
feelings, (3) other people's feelings be
dealt with without discounting, in order
to insure that productive thinking is
taking place. Often the first indication of
a discount is the discomfort of one or
more people involved in a situation.
Example: A student reciting before a
classroom falters several times and
becomes confused. Others in the class,
perhaps including the teacher, feel sym-
pathetic and anxious about his poor per-
formance. Afterwards the student says, "I
knew the material but I go to pieces when
I try to talk in front of a group!" In
looking carefully at the situation, it be-
comes apparent that the discomfort of the
rest of the class 'may have exceeded that
of the student who was performing poorly.
The student's information was sufficient
for him to have done a good job (dis-
count) and his poor performance makes
the rest of the group not all right. The
grandiosity is projected onto the group
and the teacher's expectations.
In checking out the three factors listed
above, it wiII become apparent that (1)
the situation is that the student has the
information and could perform well, (2)
he feels that he cannot perform adequate-
ly, and (3) he believes the teacher or
group to expect more than he can achieve.
All of the above include obvious dis-
75

counts which can be easily identified and
confronted. Similar discounts are present
in any game situation, and brief question-
ing will expose them. The person being
confronted will then deal straight with the
game, or he will become confused. People
on a passivity confrontation program are
expected to be aware, responsive, and
demonstrate initiative in activities and re-
lationships; consequently, in most in,
stances the games are successfully con-
fronted.
Grandiosity is the most difficult aspect
of the problem to confront because it
often occurs in thinking and is not clearly
demonstrated in overt behavior, The per-
son should be checked out to see if his
thinking includes clear cause-and-effect
relationships, or reasons for everything.
He may need to be assured that there are,
indeed, reasons for everything, and an
expectation that he consider reasons
should be established hom the beginning
of a passivity confrontation program. It is
crucial that this be done in reference to
all positions in Karpman's game triangle;
the person is capable ,f presenting a
complete, cohesive account of how he
uses passivity in all positions of his game.
The patient who respond- to problem-
atic situations by doing noth'ng is very
likely to precipitate a symbiosis. A-with
Brer Rabbit, the more active participant
in a situation frequently has a stronger
reaction to occurrences and therefore is
vulnerable to expressing feelings for both
persons, cathecting his Parent and Adult
in the process, both to find out what is
happening and to inhibit anger, then
eventually switching to enraged Child,
with a corresponding switch of ego states
in the passive person who i in a position
c
to say, "But I didn't do arything! What
are you so upset about?"
Speech behaviors are ofter the easiest
to confront around this type of passivity.
The patient will speak too quietly, be
76
PASSIVITY
hesitant, or halting in his expression.
There will be uncomfortable pauses while
he looks away or gropes for words, or
long silences before he responds to simple
questions. He should be given negative
strokes every time this happens and the
expectation should be established that he
talk effectively and that he answer imme-
diately. Example: "I expect you to an-
swer! I'm not willing to stand here." The
same expectation of immediate, appropri-
ate behavior should be established around
all behaviors. If the patient does not have
information about how to respond, he can
still be held responsible for identifying
that as a problem, actively seeking infor-
mation, communicating around the prob-
lem, and utilizing all the information
which he does have.
Over-adaptation appears in many
games, such as Look How Hard I'm Try-
ing, If It Weren't for Him, Wooden Leg,
etc. The patient appears to be seeking
a solution to the problem but is unable to
come to a satisfactory resolution because,
"I was too scared," "out of touch with
my feelings." "just didn't know what to
say," "didn't think," "don't know," or any
of a large number of excuses. The excuses
and the presence of poor cause and effect
thinking, involving a discount of reasons,
is the best indication that over-adaptation
is a problem.
However, the over-adapted position is
Le one with the most favorable prognosis.
Since more thinking occurs from this
form of passivity, resolution is most easily
accomplished. The passive individual is
likely to adapt to the expectation that he
think and respond appropriately. He may
need to be told that there are reasons for
everything, that he is responsible for
knowing what is in his head, and that he
can solve problems. A combination of
expectations and support may be most
helpful in precipitating a breakthrough of
passivity. Although the patient may seem
to be responding appropriately to the
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
 AARON WOLFE SCHIFF & JACQUI LEE SCHIFF
situation, his thinking is clearly deviant
(as determined by using the three criteria
described previously), much projected
grandiosity is involved, and it is necessary
that there be external definitions of reality
and expectations. Punishment is effective
in helping the passive person to establish
tenable goals. For example, he may not
be motivated to perform the task for posi-
tive strokes, but may be motivated by
wishing to avoid the punishment, and
therefore willing to establish a goal for
himself consistent with the expectation.
Example: The 4th grader may not learn
his times tables, even though he would
like to have an A grade, until he is told
that unless he does the work he will have
to stay after school until it is completed.
Agitation is repetitive, non-productive
activity which is motivated in an attempt
to generate energy to inhibit behavior.
The behavior is seen as threatening the
symbiosis. It is likely to be terminated in
an outburst of violence or incapacitation,
and should therefore be dealt with at a
high priority. Some agitated behaviors,
such as stuttering, are, in themselves, so
incapacitating, that it is difficult to dis-
tinguish agitation and incapacitation.
Ritualistic behaviors such as smoking,
may play an important role in controlling
agitation, or may be agitated behaviors.
The goal of confronting agitation is to
restore the patient to an over-adapted
position. The usual procedure is to parent
the patient in several consecutively more
complex behaviors until he is well-adapted
to the parenting, and then deal with what
is causing the behavior. We recently saw
a clergyman deal very effectively with
distraught and grieving relatives in a hos-
pital waiting room with, "Well, Brother
Andrew, you just come right over here,
that's right, right over here where I can
put my arm around you, that's right,
you just sit right down here, sit right
down beside me, now have you got a
handkerchief? That's right, sit down and
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
get out your handkerchief, and have a
good cry, and then we can talk a little
and pray a little, that's right, just have
a good cry ..."
Violence or incapacitation is the ulti-
mate in passive behavior, in that the
person has given up any responsibility
for thinking or problem-solving. We have
not found a way to effectively cathect the
patient's Adult until the energy worked
up during the agitation period is dis-
charged, but after the discharge of energy,
the patient is likely to be rational and
accessible to treatment, with a good deal
of Child cathected, and a readily cathect-
able Adult. This time can be effectively
utilized to rescript the patient, obtain
information which may not be available
other times, and facilitate insight and an
assumption of responsibility.
We have found passivity confrontation
to be most effectively utilized in a resi-
dential or day care program, at least for
the first week or so. The patient can best
be confronted in a structure where there
are things to do which will stimulate his
interest and contribute to his comfort. He
needs help in identifying the difference
between his goals and other people's
expectations, and it should be checked out
that these are realistic in view of his
abilities.
We are finding that the majority of
patients who are passive are enthusiastic
about having the problem confronted and
willing to have it dealt with at high level.
Within a few hours of non-passive be-
havior, the patient begins to feel better
and can generally actively participate in
identifying and solving problems of pas-
sivity.
EXAMPLES
Joe was supposed to pick up Johnny
after the ball game. His wife did not
have that information. However, as they
77

drove up to their home, Joe said, "Oh,
we forgot to pick up Johnny!"
Symbiosis: Joe assumes his wife is equal-
ly responsible for his mistake.
Grandiosity: Joe projects that his wife
could be responsible without informa-
tion.
Discount: Joe is responsible, his wife is
not.
Passive Behavior: Doing nothing.
Therapist: (To Joe) How do you feel
about coming in for counselling?
Joe: I was willing to come.
Jane: But he didn't want to!
Therapist: (To Jane) Why did you say
that?
Jane : Well, I wanted to!
Symbiosis: Jane expresses Joe's feelings
and thinks he should share hers.
Grandiosity: Jane thinks her feelings
should control Joe's feelings.
Discount: Joe did not answer therapist's
question. Jane responded relevant to
Joe's feelings.
Passive Behavior: Agitation.
Jane: I can't make my 8-year old son
turn off the television.
78
PASSIVITY
Therapist: Why can't you?
Jane: Because I don't get any support
from Joe.
Symbiosis: Jane cannot act independently
of Joe.
Grandiosity: Jane is inadequate; Johnny
is unmanagable.
Discount: Jane could solve the problem.
Johnny is not unmanagable.
Passivity: Doing nothing.
Jane: I'm really furious about that!
Joe: I know. Will you forgive me?
Symbiosis: Joe tries to get Jane to take
care of him.
Grandiosity: Jane's anger is overwhelm-
ing, Joe is inadequate to deal with it.
Discount: That Joe is not responding to
Jane's feelings.
Passivity: Over-adaptation.
Joe is driving in a heavy fog. He says, "I
can't see anything," and lets go of the
wheel, causing an accident.
Symbiosis: There is no one to take care
of Joe.
Grandiosity: Fog was overwhelming.
Discount: Joe could have stopped the car.
Passivity: Incapacitation or violence.
Transactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971