Klein's Object Relations Theory Notes PDF

Background Melanie Reizes Klein developed the Object Relations Theory, which plays strong emphasis on interpersonal relationships, particularly between a mother and child Klein asserted that humans are motivated to connect and relate The influence of Sandor Ferenzi, his for...

Background Melanie Reizes Klein developed the Object Relations Theory, which plays strong emphasis on interpersonal relationships, particularly between a mother and child Klein asserted that humans are motivated to connect and relate The influence of Sandor Ferenzi, his former psychoanalyst, had sparked her interest in psychoanalysis when Ferenzi introduced her to Sigmund Freud’s work, particularly his work On Dreams. Essential details in her Career At 38, Klein joined the Berlin Psychoanalytical Society With Karl Abraham’s support, Klein’s new psychoanalyst, she began to work on analyzing children. This work helped her build her theory which came from case studies of several children. Her work in the clinic produced her first significant publication, The Psychoanalysis of Children - Part I: Techniques of Child Analysis - Part II: Early Anxiety-Situations and their Effect on the Development of the Child As she continued to work with children closely, she observed the value of play therapy. The death of her son led her to develop concepts with themes of depression, such as the ‘depressive position’ and her publication on 'Mourning and its relation to the Manic-Depressive States.' Her final paper is titled On the Sense of Loneliness Psychic life of the infant Objects Drives: life and death instincts Drive → Object → Aim Phantasies Infant’s representation of id Positions Infant’s capability to organize what is a good or bad experience 1. Paranoid-schizoid position - Occurs during three to four months of life where ego is still subjective - Infants experience both frustration and satisfaction from the object, which is the mother’s breast - This conflicting feeling leads to a threatened ego, and a threatened ego develops the need to destroy the breast - The ego will split into two → ideal and persecutory breast to manage the destructive feeling  2. Depressive position - Fifth to sixth months (ego starts to mature) - Infants become anxious about the possibility that mothers may leave them, and this anxiousness leads to destructive feelings - However, a mature ego understands the impact of the destructive feelings which in turn makes the infant guilty of thinking to harm the mother - To overcome, an individual should fantasize of making amends with having destructive feelings and have a sense of security that the mother will not leave Psychic defense mechanisms: ways to protect ego against the anxiety of having destructive feelings Introjection Synonymous to ‘taking in’ Example, infants take in good objects to protect against anxiety. Meanwhile, they introject bad objects to control them Projection Synonymous to ‘getting rid’ Believes that feelings do not come from their own body but from someone else Splitting Ego splits into a good me and bad me If handled positively, the humans can simultaneously see the good and bad aspects of themselves. On contrary, those who can’t differentiate will repress the bad me Projective Identification Bad me (or the unacceptable aspects of self) → projected to an object —> identifies with the object through identification Internalizations: How a person introjects aspects of the world and organizes them into a meaningful framework Ego Comes from its first experience in feeding which can be good or bad This experience becomes the standard of future experiences Superego Developed from ego’s aggressive use of defense mechanisms to avoid destructive feelings Thus it produces feelings of terror rather than guilt Oedipus Complex Female Oedipal Development Begins at the earliest month of life and ends at Starts with seeing mother as good and bad → at six months, the infant three to four years old sees mother more positively —> it makes the infant wonder how babies are made —> thus, infants starts to fantasize the capacity of father’s penis in producing babies → infant starts fantasizing having babies from him → if successfully resolved, a child develops a feminine position and positive relationship with parents If a child sees mother as rival —> it will fantasize robbing her babies —> which will result to fear of her mother wanting to hurt her for robbing her babies —> will be resolve by delivering a healthy baby Male Oedipal Development Starts seeing mother as good and bad → will shift his oral desire from his mother’s breast to father’s penis → the child will then adopt a feminine position → as boy matures, he develops oral-sadistic feelings towards father (castration anxiety) —> will be resolve by experiencing the castration anxiety and having positive relationship with parents Theories Developed after Klein Margaret Mahler To Mahler, an individual's psychological birth begins during the first weeks of postnatal life and continues for the next 3 years or so By psychological birth, the child becomes an individual separate from his or her primary caregiver, an accomplishment that leads ultimately to a sense of identity Heinz Kohut Emphasized the process by which the self evolves from a vague and undifferentiated image to a clear and precise sense of individual identity Infants require adult caregivers not only to gratify physical needs but also to satisfy basic psychological needs In caring for both physical and psychological needs, adults or selfobjects, treat infants as if they had a sense of self The self gives unity and consistency to one's experiences, remains relatively stable over time, and is " the center of initiative and a recipient of impressions"  The self is also the child's focus of interpersonal relations, shaping how or she will relate to parents & other selfobjects Infants are self-centered, looking out exclusively for their own welfare and wishing to be admired for who they are and what they do. They have two (2) Narcissistic needs John Bowlby Three Stages of Separation Anxiety 1. PROTEST When their caregiver is first out of sight, infants cry, resist soothing by other people, and search for their caregiver 2. DESPAIR As separation continues, infants become quiet, sad, passive, listless, and apathetic 3. DETACHMENT Infants become emotionally detached from other people, including their caregiver Mary Ainsworth The Strange Situation When their mother returns, infants are happy and enthusiastic and initiate contact Anxious-resistant Attachment When their mother leaves the room, they become agitated, and when their mother returns, they seek contact with her but reject attempts at being soothed Anxious-avoidant Attachment Infants stay calm when their mother leaves; they accept the stranger, and when their mother returns, they ignore and avoid her