Learning Matrix

Name: Maomay, Patricia Desiree Ann M. Date: November 19, 2022

Reference(s): Feist, J., Feist, G., and Roberts, T. (2018). Theories of Personality. 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co

Theory: Object Relations Theory

According to Klein, newborns, even at birth has their active

Structure phantasies that are the psychological presentations of id
(What is the structure of personality according to the theory?) instincts. These id instincts are unconsciously present.
Unconscious concepts of "good" and "bad" exists in infants but
as newborns develops, there are unconscious phantasies
associated with the breast that continues to give impact in their
psychological life. Both inherited predispositions and actuality
influences later unconscious fantasies. One of these fantasies are
known as the Oedipus complex. It is the child's desire to sexually
possess one parent and kill the other. Kleinian theory states that
both boys and girls have different Oedipus complex experience.
Aside from this, Klein also stated that although the ego is
unstructured at birth, it is still powerful enough to experience
anxiety, employ defense mechanisms, and eventually develop
early object relations both through fantasy and reality. Superego,
according to Klein, has three significant difference to Freud's
interpretation of superego. First, Klein believes that superego
shows itself earlier in life, second, it doesn't result from the
Oedipus complex, and lastly, it is more harsh and cruel.
Different drives, according to Klein, needed to be attached into
Dynamics something. As a result of this, the goal of infants hunger drive is
(What motivates behavior according to the theory?) the good breast, the object of their sex drive is a sexual organ,
and so on. Based on Kleinian theory, as early as infancy,
newborns begin to relate themselves to these external objects,
both in actuality and their imagination. Infants introject, or in
 other words, they take into their psychic structure, these
external objects in their fantasy, including their father's penis,
mother's face, hands, and their parents other bodily parts.

Development In Klein’s Object Relations Theory, human development was not

(How does the theory explain human development, from infancy discussed.
to old age?)

Psychopathology
(What are "abnormal" behavior patterns develop, according to In Klein’s Object Relations Theory, psychopathology was not
the theory?) discussed.

Klein believes that both neurotic and healthy children should

Psychotherapy
(What interventions for addressing personality disorders are
proposed by the theory?)
Application
(What are the contributions of the theory in the developing field
of personality psychology?)
undergo psychoanalysis because of these types of children would
benefit from it. Neurotic children would benefit from therapeutic
treatment, on the other hand, healthy children would gain from a
preventive analysis. Freudian dream analysis and free association
was abandoned by Klein because she thought that children could
express their conscious and unconscious desire more through
play therapy. In play therapy, she gave children different small
toys, pencils and papers, crayons, painting materials, and other
items that would encourage their aggressive fantasies and
negative transference. The purpose of this Kleinian therapy is to
reduce internalized objects' harness, depressive anxiety, and
persecutory phobias.
Object relations theory states that young children absorb the
features and aspect of their relationship with their caregivers as
a model for interpersonal interactions. Several studies have
evaluated how childhood trauma and child abuse can have a
huge effect in adult relationship functioning and whether these
phenomenon’s can tell pathophysiological consequences in the
future. A group in York University studied one example of this
 and the findings showed that much as object relations theory
would anticipate, that worse self-esteem, and PTSD symptoms
shown by the abuse survivors were connected with a propensity
to regard people and relationships as more malicious and less
invested in emotional relationships.

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