OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY

MELANIE KLEIN
Melanie Klein
 Engaged in self-analysis like Horney
 Did not have a warm relationship with her daughter(and mother), Melitta despite
emphasizing the mother-child relationship in her theory
 Rival with Anna Freud
 Melitta went through psychoanalysis under Freud
 Expanded Freud’s theory
 Focuses on 4-6 months old
 Observation of infants
 Social factors are the focus
 Sigmund Freud rejected Klein
 Mother of Object Relations Theory
 Sigmund Freud - Father of Object Relations Theory

Psychic Life of the Infant

 Phantasies - receiving the “good” & destroying the “bad”

 Objects - breasts
 External Objects - significant person who gives the basic need in our
lives (specifically the MOTHER)
 Internal Objects - Interpretation of experiences from our MOTHER
(How one internalizes their mother)

 Cornerstone: HUMAN CONTACT AND RELATEDNESS

SEPARATION-INDIVIDUATION THEORY
MARGARET MAHLER

3 Step Relationship with Mother

 Normal Autism - Primary narcissism in which the infant is unaware of others.
(world revolves around them, mother provides their needs)
 Normal Symbiosis - infant & mother are one (relationship with mother is
developed)
 Separation-Individuation - Psychological separation from mother. (leave the
care of mother to establish identity)
 Psychological Birth - event that leads to forming a sense of identity where a
child separates from his/her primary caregiver

SEPARATION ANXIETY/ATTACHMENT THEORY

JOHN BOWLBY
Stages of Separation Anxiety
 Protest (baby crying when mother leaves and can’t be stopped unless by own
mother)
 Despair (continuous abandonment leads to calmness but deep sadness)
 Detachment (emotionally detached from mother, hard to form relationship with
others)
 ATTACHMENT STYLE/STRANGE SITUATION
MAY AINSWORTH
 Observation-Experimentation type
 Playroom where baby and mother is introduced to a room where a stranger would
be introduced and then the mother leaves. Infants reaction is the basis of scientists
checklist.

Attachment Style Rating

 Secure Attachment - When mother leaves, baby won’t cry; when she comes
back baby would be happy and interact with mother
 Anxious-Resistant - When mother leaves, baby will be sad, when she comes
back would initiate interaction with mother but may tampo
 Anxious-Avoidant - When mother leaves, baby is calm, when stranger interacts
baby would respond, when she comes back ignore/avoid mother

POST FREUDIAN THEORY

ERIK ERIKSON
Erik Erikson
 Extended age range of psychoanalysis
 Hanged out with Psychoanalysts
 Did not know his father
 Had great difficulty in establishing his identity
 Changed his name from Hamburger to Erikson
 Was a wandering artist
 Failed to care for his son who had down’s syndrome
 Was a bad father

Interrelated Aspects of the Ego

 Ego is the center of Personality

 Body Ego - a way of seeing our physical self as different from other people
 Ego Ideal - represent the image we have of ourselves in comparison with an
established ideal
 Ego Identity - the image we have of ourselves in the variety of social roles we
play.
 Epigenetic Principle - step-by-step provess development where one stage
emerges from & is built upon from the previous stage.

PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Stage Psychosocial Crisis Basic Strength Core Pathology
Infancy Trust vs. Mistrust Hope Withdrawal
Early Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt Will Compulsion
Childhood
Play Stage Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose Inhibition
School Age Industry vs. Inferiority Competence Inertia
Adolescence Identity vs. Identity Confusion Fidelity Role Repudiation
Young Intimacy vs Isolation Love Exclusivity
Adulthood
Adulthood Generativity vs. Stagnation Care Rejectivity
Old age Integrity vs Despair Wisdom Disdain
 Psychosocial Crisis - always has positive and negative
 Positive - Syntonic
 Negative - Dystonic
 Both needs to be balanced (not necessarily 50/50)
 Basic Strength - More syntonic
 Core Pathology - More dystonic

 Infancy - Crisis is dependent on experience from our caregivers

 Too much trust - gullible
 Too much mistrust - hostile/frustration
 Impossible to not form trust and mistrust
 Hope - believes that wishes will come true
 Withdrawal - avoids people in surroundings
 Early Childhood
 Wants to be independent
 If encouraged, builds autonomy
 If overprotective, shame & doubt, loss of will to express safe
 Play Stage
 Wants to explore/freedom
 Wants to do something/activities (initiative)
 Guilt is felt when they do not appreciate what you do (would not have
courage
 School Age
 Master what they do (achieving honors and stuff)
 Needs support and encouragement from parents and teachers
 Building confidence in physical and cognitive abilities
 Inertia similar to regression
 Adolescence
 Most important stage for Erikson
 Where ego identity is formed (social roles)
 Where what we want to be is formed
 Fidelity - having own beliefs that we stand by
 Young Adulthood
 Centered in the formation of intimacy
 Share love to others/reach out
 Mutual love/ mature devotion/ overcome differences
 Exclusivity - does not want to cooperate/compromise with others
 Adulthood
 Focused on procreation
 Procreation needs to have care
 Guiding future generation (not necessarily own child)
 Rejectivity - does not care about other people
 Old age
 Integrity -feeling of being whole , not afraid to die, fulfilled everything you
want in life
 Despair - not yet ready to die, wants to go back to younger self, regret
 Wisdom - has shared a lot of knowledge to the next generation
 Disdain - feeling of hopelessness

* HAS PARALLELS WITH FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT