one’s psychological and

Joshua H. Tuguinay emotional impression of

Advanced Theories of Personality a person

Object Relations Theory

the representation that we
Concept Map people, parts of people, hold onto when the person
or physical items that Internal Objects is not physically there
discusses the effect of the internalized symbolically represent
relations with primary caretakers during either a person or part
an actual person or thing
infancy, and their unconscious influence of a person.
External Objects that someone invests in
on the nature of future relationships
with emotional energy
Objects
Object Constancy
the ability to recognize
that objects do not
the dynamic change simply because
Object internalized we do not see them
Introjection
Relations relationships between
Object the self and significant
Theory others (objects) Projection identification
Relations
Splitting
Unconscious
Phantasies the unique mental and
primitive emotional capacities of an
internalized mental individual result from the
children do not only Splitting images of instincts interaction of these
internalize the object itself,
and drives phantasies with actual
but also the entire
relationship experience, and the
“Good-enough
emotion that ensues
The mental separation of objects into "good" mother”
The object as perceived by the self and "bad" parts and the subsequent
repression of the "bad," or anxiety-provoking, serve as the basis
The self in relation to the object aspects. Infants first experience splitting in the mother is able to for all future mental
their relationship with the primary caregiver. satisfactorily meet the mechanisms
The relationship between self and object needs of the infant
Paranoid-schizoid position (newborn- 4-6 months)

Death Instinct exists when needs

(Thanatos) Mother are fulfilled,
causing feelings of
love towards the
object

Anxiety Good Breast

Bad Breast
Infant
exists when the
mother is unable to
Introjection fill the infant’s needs
immediately, causing
the ego is Projection a desire to destroy
still in a Identification ties the self to positive this object
primitive sensations and thus forms
state Splitting the basis for the
development of a positive
self-concept, more suited to
unable to
sustain negative aspects of
maintain a the self as well
unified mental relationships are
image of the self maintained with parts
or of others therefore
of objects (e.g. breast
rather than mother)
The Depressive Position (6 months +)

realization that the mother Good Mother Bad Mother

phantasized of destroying, (Good Breast) (Bad Breast)
is the same as the loved
mother
+

Integrated
ego
Guilt

Infant Mother

engages in reparation in an
effort to restore and fix
objects he phantasized
destroying