The Joines Personality Adaptations Questionnaire (JPAQ) is a set of personality profiles originally designed Taibi Kahier under the name "Process Com" and later developed, with permission, by Vann Joines and Ian Stewart. All three are teachers and supervisors in Transactional Analysis in the field of Psychotherapy (TSTA-P).
Their work is described in a French non-translated book entitled "Personality Adaptations: A New Guide to Human Understanding in Psychotherapy and Counseling" and published in 2006.
The basic idea is that there are fifty ways in which an individual can fit in childhood to psychologically survive and meet the expectations of his parents. These elements come together to form six styles :
- Enthusiastic - Over-Reactor
- Responsible - Workaholic
- Brilliant - Skeptic
- Creative - Daydreamer
- Playful - Resister
- Charming - Manipulator
The first three adjustments are called "survival" and represent the best option that an individual found to care for him in childhood, in times when he felt he could not trust his environment. The other three are called "performance" and represent how the child worked to ensure to be OK with adults of his entourage. Every individual presents a unique combination of adaptations "survival" and "performance".
In a group, knowing one's profile and that of the members helps them to understand and appreciate oneself and understand and appreciate others. Every adaptation has some strengths, possible weaknesses, development potential and specific preferences for contacting and interacting with others. Discovering these adaptations can improve our relationship with the people who live around us. In a working team they can identify relational needs of everyone and are particularly effective in helping in the development of Mission and Cooperation Contracts.
