What are the assumptions made by object relations theory?
Object relations is a variation of psychoanalytic theory that diverges from Sigmund Freud’s belief that humans are motivated by sexual and aggressive drives, suggesting instead that humans are primarily motivated by the need for contact with others—the need to form relationships.
What is the main assumption of Klein’s object relations theory?
Klein believed that ego formation begins from the moment of birth when the newborn attempts to relate to the world through part-objects – thus the object ‘mother’ becomes a part-object ‘breast’.
What is the focus of object relations theory?
According to the object relations theory, the way mothers and infants interact plays a crucial role in infant growth and development. If care is adequate or “good enough,” children are able to develop their true selves, which is the part of the baby that is creative and spontaneous.
What is an example of object relations theory?
The theory suggests that the way people relate to others and situations in their adult lives is shaped by family experiences during infancy. For example, an adult who experienced neglect or abuse in infancy would expect similar behavior from others who remind them of the neglectful or abusive parent from their past.
What is Kleins paranoid-schizoid position?
The term ‘paranoid-schizoid position’ refers to a constellation of anxieties, defences and internal and external object relations that Klein considers to be characteristic of the earliest months of an infant’s life and to continue to a greater or lesser extent into childhood and adulthood.
What is the greatest concern surrounding the object relations theory?
Perhaps the most important practical implication of object relations theory is the conception of identification as a series of internalization processes ranging from earliest introjection to identification per se, to the development of complex identity formation.
What is Winnicott’s theory?
Winnicott’s conception of the true and false selves are connected to his views on play. He believed that the false self was a mannerly, orderly, external self that enabled a person to fit into society. The true self, however, is the only self capable of creativity, and play helps a person develop this true self.
What do object relations approaches tend to emphasize?
Object relations theory is an offshoot of psychoanalytic theory that emphasizes interpersonal relations, primarily in the family and especially between mother and child. Object relations theorists are interested in inner images of the self and other and how they manifest themselves in interpersonal situations.
What is Kleins depressive position?
‘Depressive position’ is a mental constellation defined by Klein as central to the child’s development, normally first experienced towards the middle of the first year of life. It is repeatedly revisited and refined throughout early childhood, and intermittently throughout life.
What is splitting Klein?
Klein describes splitting in the way a child seeks to retain good feelings and introject good objects, whilst expelling bad objects and projecting bad feelings onto an external object, in order to protect the good object from being contaminated by the bad object.
What is the difference between object relations theory and attachment theory?
The investigation of the relations between basic concepts of attachment and object relations theories is the focus of recent theoretical and empirical studies on the quality of early internalizations and their effects on behaviour, perception and affect regulation (Diamond & Blatt, 1994; Eagle, 1997; Fishler, Sperling.
Who Analysed Winnicott?
Joan Riviere
Donald Winnicott Already deeply interested in child psychology, Winnicott decided to go into analysis with James Strachey, an analysis which lasted 10 years. He was later analysed by Joan Riviere, and started his analytic training in 1927.
How does object relations therapy help your relationship?
The goal of object relations therapy is to help people improve relationships by improving the way they function internally. A therapist will review patients’ childhood object relations to see how those interactions may influence their current relationships. How Does It Work?
What kind of theory is object relations theory?
Object relations theory is an offshoot of psychoanalytic theory that emphasizes interpersonal relations, primarily in the family and especially between mother and child.
Is the non-directive approach to object relations therapy sufficient?
The non-directive approach of object relations therapy is not considered sufficient to deal with such an issue. Once critical symptoms are dealt with, however, an individual may choose to engage in object relations therapy to determine how past relationships with significant others might contribute to present concerns. Goldstein, E. G. (2001).
How are body experiences used in object relations theory?
In the absence of a represented transitional object, body experiences are used to regain a sense of connection with the original object. For example, the act of binging is used to recreate the experience of being fed, an act originally performed by the mother, thus recreating the experience of connection with her.