Object Relations Theory PDF

Object Relations Theory Key Contributors Melanie Klein Margaret Mahler Heinz Kohut John Bowlby Mary Ainsworth Object Relations Theory - posits that individuals are driven to form and maintain relationships from birth, and these early experienc...

Object Relations Theory Key Contributors Melanie Klein Margaret Mahler Heinz Kohut John Bowlby Mary Ainsworth Object Relations Theory - posits that individuals are driven to form and maintain relationships from birth, and these early experiences are internalized as "objects" that influence future relationships: - Objects can be people, such as primary caretakers and significant others, or things, like pacifiers or teddy bears. Melanie Reizes Klein (1882-1960) Birth: March 30, 1882; Vienna, Austria Specialization: Child psychoanalysis Focus: Early mother-child relationships and interpersonal relationships Emphasis: Relational patterns over biological drives Key concepts: Phantasies, objects, positions (paranoid-schizoid and depressive) How is it different from Freud? 1. Places less emphasis on biological drives and more importance on consistent patterns of interpersonal relationships 2. More maternal, stressing the intimacy and nurturing of the mother 3. Primary motive of human behavior: human contact and relatedness, not sexual pleasure Psychic Life of the Infant - stressed the importance of the first 4 to 6 months - infants begin life with an inherited disposition to reduce the anxiety they experience as a result of the conflict produced by the forces of the life instinct and the power of the death instinct - this innate readiness to act presupposed the existence of phylogenetic endowment (inherited from ancestors) PHANTASIES - the infant even at birth possesses an active phantasy life - psychic representations of unconscious id instincts - the infant's most basic fantasies are images of the "good" breast and the "bad" breast. PHANTASIES Examples - full stomach is "good" while empty stomach is "bad" - Good breast - The infants sucking fingers while asleep are phantasizing their mother's breast - Bad breast - infants kicking and crying are the hungry infants as they phantasize to destroy the bad breast. Positions - Kleinian theory posits that human infants are engaged in a constant conflict between the life instinct (e.g., nourishment) and the death instinct (e.g., hunger, destruction). To manage this, they develop positions-ways of organizing their experiences with both internal and external objects.  Object Relations Theory Two basic positions: 1. Paranoid-Schizoid Position - Occurs during the early months of life. - The infant experiences the "good breast" and the "bad breast." - To tolerate these conflicting feelings, the ego splits into parts, projecting some onto the breast. - The infant fears the persecutory breast and desires to keep the ideal breast inside. - This position involves paranoid feelings and splitting of objects. 2. Depressive Position - Emerges around the 5th or 6th month. - The infant begins to see external objects as whole, recognizing that both good and bad can exist in the same person. - The ego matures, tolerating some destructive feelings. - The infant experiences guilt for wanting to destroy the loved object. - The depressive position is resolved through reparation and recognition of the mother's permanence. Objects - Klein agreed with Freud that humans have innate drives (e.g., hunger, sex). - Drives need objects (e.g., breast, sexual organ). - Children introject external objects (e.g., father's penis, mother's hands/face). - Introjected objects are fantasies of internalizing external objects. - Internal objects can influence relationships and behavior. Psychic Defense Mechanism - Klein believe that children acquire some psychic defense mechanisms to protect the ego against anxiety aroused by their own destructive fantasies. Defense Mechanism 1. Introjection - Infants fantasize taking external objects (like the mother's breast) into their bodies to control them and protect against anxiety. 2. Projection - Infants attribute their own feelings and impulses to others, believing their subjective opinions are true. 3. Splitting - Infants separate incompatible impulses within themselves and external objects, creating "good" and "bad" versions. 4. Projective identification - projecting unwanted parts of oneself onto another person and then identifying with those projected qualities Margaret Mahler (1897-1985) - Margaret Mahler was a prominent psychoanalyst who focused on the early stages of child development. Her theory, known as object relations theory, emphasized the importance of the infant's relationship with the mother in shaping the child's sense of self and identity.  Object Relations Theory Key points of Mahler's theory: Psychological Birth - Mahler believed that the psychological birth of the individual occurs during the first three years of life. Three Developmental Stages - She outlined three major stages: 1. Normal Autism: The infant is primarily focused on internal needs and sensations. 2. Normal Symbiosis: The infant and mother function as a single unit. 3. Separation-Individuation: The child begins to differentiate from the mother and develop a sense of individual identity. Heinz Kohut(1913-1981) - Heinz Kohut was another prominent psychoanalyst who contributed significantly to object relations theory. His focus was on the development of the self and its relationship with significant others, known as selfobjects. Key points of Kohut's theory: Self-Development - Kohut emphasized the process by which the self evolves from a vague image to a clear sense of identity. Selfobjects - He introduced the concept of selfobjects, which are significant others who help the infant develop a sense of self. Narcissistic Needs - Kohut identified two basic narcissistic needs: 1. The need to exhibit the grandiose self: The desire to feel powerful, superior, and admired. 2. The need to acquire an idealized image of either one or both parents: The desire to have a positive and idealized view of one's parents. Attachment Theories John Bowlby (1907-1990) - John Bowlby was a prominent psychoanalyst who developed attachment theory, emphasizing the importance of early attachments in shaping personality and social behavior. Key points of Bowlby's theory: Impact of Childhood Attachments - Bowlby believed that early attachments formed in childhood have a significant impact on adulthood. Separation Anxiety - He identified three stages of separation anxiety: 1. Protest: The infant cries and protests when the caregiver is absent. 2. Despair: The infant becomes withdrawn and passive. 3. Detachment: The infant becomes emotionally detached from others.  Object Relations Theory Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999) - developed the Strange Situation procedure to assess attachment styles between infants and their caregivers. Attachment Styles: Secure Attachment - Infants feel comfortable and secure with their caregiver, seeking proximity and contact when distressed. Anxious-Resistant Attachment - Infants are ambivalent, displaying both attachment and avoidance behaviors. Anxious-Avoidant Attachment - Infants appear to be indifferent to their caregiver, showing little distress when separated and avoiding contact upon reunion. Psychotherapy Focus: Early childhood experiences, unconscious fantasies. Goals: Reduce anxiety, fears, harsh internal objects. Methods: Play therapy, nurturing negative transference. Benefits: For both healthy and disturbed children. Basic Tenet of the Object Relations theory 1. See personality as being a product of the early mother-child relationship 2. Stress determinism over free choice 3. Low rating on uniqueness 4. High rating on social influences, causality, and unconscious forces