Psychology For UnderGraduate Medical Students Object Relations Theory

Psychology For Under-Graduate Medical Students Object Relations Theory Mohamed Taha, MD Minia Faculty of Medicine Egypt

Definition l Object relations theory is a psychodynamic theory within psychoanalytic psychology. l The "objects" being referred to in the title of theory are both real others in one's world, and one's internalized images of others. l Object relations theory was actively pioneered throughout the 1940 s and 50 s by British theoreticians Ronald Fairbairn, Melanie Klein, Donald Winnicott, Harry Guntrip, Scott Stuart, and others. M Taha, Object Relations 2

Key Concepts l Humans are born with autonomous motivation to relate to other people. l Humans are essentially social and the need for relationships is at the core of the self. l Person is continuously seeking for an object (another human being) not for pleasure (as Freud suggested). l Humans exist both in an external and internal world. M Taha, Object Relations 3

Introjection l Unconscious process by which an external object is symbolically taken in and assimilated as part of oneself. l Good objects are introjected for fear of losing them. l Bad objects are introjected for mastery, control or trial to improve the relation with them. M Taha, Object Relations 4

Internalized Representations (The Inner World) l As children develop, they do not simply internalize (introject) an object or person, rather, they internalize an entire relationship. l These object relationships consist of a self-representation, an object-representation and an emotion linking the two. Self Emotion M Taha, Object Relations Object 5

The Positions l Melanie Klein outlined the stages of development into what she called “positions”. 1 - Paranoid-Schizoid position: first six months of life. 2 - Depressive position: second six months of life. M Taha, Object Relations 6

1 - Paranoid-Schizoid Position l From birth to six months of life. l At this developmental stage, experience can only be perceived as all good or all bad. l The hungry infant desires the mother who feeds it. Should the mother appear, it is a good object. l If the mother does not appear, the hungry and now frustrated infant in its distress, perceives the mother as a bad object, and may have fantasies for destroying her. M Taha, Object Relations 7

2 - Depressive Position l The infant begins to realize that the “bad” mother and the “good” mother are not in fact different, but are rather the same person. l As children integrate the two part-objects into one whole object, they become disturbed that their destructive fantasies toward the mother may have destroyed her. l This mode of experience involves concern that one may harm others. l Guilt becomes a prominent part of the emotional life of the infant, who attempts to resolve it through reparation. M Taha, Object Relations 8

l The depressive position is the most mature form of psychological organization which continues to develop thought the life span. l From this developmental milestone come a capacity for sympathy, responsibility to and concern for others. M Taha, Object Relations 9

l The two positions can be viewed as two modes of living rather than only developmental phases. l Our minds are always in one or the other of two positions. One involves extreme splits, part object relations, and tendency to aggression and fighting, whether verbal or physical. l The other involves granting that life is not just extremes but consists of things all mixed up, some good, some bad, whole object relations and tendency for concern and care for others. M Taha, Object Relations 10

Part and Whole Objects l Part Object: as described in the paranoid-schizoid position, objects are initially comprehended in the infant’s mind by their functions and are termed "part objects". l Whole Object: to see that both the "good" and the "bad" as part of the same person, as seen in the depressive position. M Taha, Object Relations 11

Transitional Object l l In human childhood development, a transitional object is something, usually a physical object, which takes the place of the mother-child bond. Common examples include dolls, teddy bears or blankets. In the first few months of life, the infant sees himself and the mother as a whole. Later on, the child comes to realize that the mother is separate from him through which it appears that the child has lost something. Transitional object enables the child to have a fantasized bond with the mother when she gradually separates for increasingly longer periods of time M Taha, Object Relations 12

True and False Self l If parents (especially mother) overwhelm the child with their own needs, the child develops a false self, compliant and adaptive to the parental needs and expectations. l Because the baby is still dependent on its mother/parent for survival, the true self must be buried. l In this way the true self is not involved in the reacting, and so preserves a continuity of being. However, the hidden true self suffers from lack of experience. M Taha, Object Relations 13

Major Defense Mechanisms 1 - Introjection: Unconscious process by which an external object is symbolically taken in and assimilated as part of oneself. 2 - Splitting: Unconscious separation of contradictory feelings or impulses. People are split and seen as devils or angels rather than whole cohesive continuous persons. 3 - Projective Identification: Unconscious process by which aspects of oneself are disavowed and attributed to someone else, who unconsciously identifies with what is projected. M Taha, Object Relations 14

Psycho-pathology and therapy l Pathology stems from internalized bad objects and object relations that have distorted patient’s modes of assimilating experiences. l Therapy is helping the patient resolve the pathological qualities of past relationships through the corrective emotional experience of real relationship between therapist and patient. l The therapist pays attention to ways in which the patient projects previous object relationships into the present interactions with therapist. M Taha, Object Relations 15

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