10 - Klein's Object Relations Theory

object

object

psychoanalytic term referring to the person or part of a person that can satisfy an instinct or drive

• all drives have an object

• when object is introjected, child believes it is always part of them

object relations theory

• focuses on 4-6 months after birth

• about attachment to an object, internal psychological representations

  • prototype for later relations to whole objects, such as mother

• emphasis on the mother, primary caregiver

• contact and relatedness to others ultimately motivates behaviour

differences from Freud’s theory

• less emphasis on biologically based drives, more on importance of consistent patterns on interpersonal relationships

• more maternal, stressing intimacy and nurturing of mother

• human contact and relatedness, not sexual pleasure, as prime motive of behaviour

infants do not begin with blank state but with an….

inherited predisposition to reduce the anxiety they experience as a result of the conflict produced by the forces of the life instinct and the power of the death instinct

phantasies

psychic representations of unconscious id instincts

• not to be confused with fantasies

• reflect primal impulses of child

  • nourishment

• contradictory, split into good and bad

  • stem from frustrations and care from caregiver

position

ways in which an infant organizes its experience in order to deal with its basic conflict of love and hate

• way to confront external and internal objects

  • assumed in all sorts of places in life

  • prototypical attempts to confront and deal with relationships and connections

• are normal, alternate back and forth

• paranoid-schizoid

• depressive

paranoid-schizoid position

tendency of the infant to see the world as having the same destructive and omnipotent qualities that it possesses

• initial position infant takes (first 3-4 months)

• duality threatens the ego (how can something be good and bad)

• paranoid: feeling persecuted by badness

• schizoid: the splitting of objects

• development of ambivalence and sense of control is necessary

depressive position

feelings of anxiety over losing a loved object coupled with a sense of guilt for wanting to destroy that object

• 5-6 months

• sees that whole person contains good and bad

• ego can accept destruction as part of self

• develop empathy, as want to punish selves for previous projection

• phantasy closes the ego split and resolves situation

incomplete resolution of depressive phase is a result of

lack of trust and fear that others will eave

• cause psychological difficulties

defense mechanisms

protect ego against anxiety aroused by their own destructive fantasies

• introjection

• projection

• splitting

• projective identification

introjection

(defence mechanism)

fantasizing about taking objects, such as breast, into one’s own body

• when dangerous objects introjected, become internal persecutors capable of terrifying infant

• phantasies, not accurate

can take negative object into self through introjection in attempt to _____ it

control

projection

(defence mechanism)

fantasy that one’s own feelings and impulses actually reside in another person and not within one’s body

• alleviates anxiety of being destroyed by dangerous internal forces

• ex., punching stuffed animal to make it a frustrating source to rid own anxiety

splitting

(defence mechanism)

while subjectively separates incompatible aspects of an object

• when we can’t deal with the good and bad aspects

• usually good thing, necessary for development and differentiating between good and bad

• only problem if rigid, would lead to repressions and unable to recognize own negative qualities

projective identification

(defence mechanism)

infant splits off unacceptable parts of themselves, project them onto another object, and then introject them in a distorted form

• ex., partner A wants to control, so they project onto partner B that B is controlling

  • A puts self in situation to be controlled (introjecting lack of control)

  • then B has to be controlling, thus realizing the projection

internalizations

process in which the person takes in (introjects) aspects of the external world and then organizes those introjections in a psychologically meaningful way

• ego

• superego

• Oedipus complex

ego

mostly unorganized at birth, but strong enough to feel anxiety, use defense mechanisms, and form early object relations in both phantasy and reality

• must split before unified

• at birth, only feels anxiety and splits

• experiences first object relations (breast)

• introjects good and bad from world, becomes more cohesive as deals with ambivalence

superego 3 differences from Freud

1. emerges much earlier in life

2. not outgrowth of Oedipus complex

3. much more harsh and cruel

superego

• early superego not around guilt but terror

• early fears of being cut up or blown up, comes from destructive instinct

• to deal with anxiety, mobilize libido against fear by splitting ego

  • child has to come to point where they feel responsible, which forms basis for superego

• grows alongside Oedipus complex, emerges as real guilt after OC resolved

Oedipus complex

begins earliest months of life, climax at genital stage (NOT phallic phase)

oedipus complex 4 differences from Freud

• OC starts much earlier in life

• stems from fear of being retaliated against from wanting to harm parent earlier

• children have positive relationships and feelings towards both parents

• establish healthy relationship with good object (breast or penis) early on, gradually parent to develop healthy relationship

female oedipal complex

• starts 6 months

• split between good and bad breasts

• start to see breasts as more positive than negative and mother as something good

• leads to unconscious phantasy about how she emerged

  • father gave baby to mother

  • desire that father gives her a baby, stem of penis envy

• introjection of masculinity, desire of opposite

• adopts feminine position

• strong attachment to mother throughout period

successful female oedipal complex

• adopts feminine position accepting femininity

  • adopt positive relationship with parents

  • generalize symbol of father to masculinity at large, later attraction

unsuccessful female oedipal complex

girl experiences mother as rival

• leads to negative psychological outcomes, paranoid fears of retaliation

• anxiety remains until able to have a baby

male oedpial complex

• splitting of ego

• shifts desire away from mother to desire to be the father

  • attain masculinity

• boy adopts feminine position to take in father

  • moves to desire for mother when he realizes father desires the mother

• has to value fathers masculinity before can understand own masculinity

• destructive impulses to father, fear of retaliation

  • castration anxiety of father destructing his penis

  • leads generalized desire of mother to femininity

• establish positive relation with both parents and accept masculinity

for both genders, healthy resolution of Oedipus complex depends on….

ability to allow parents to have sexual intercourse with each other with no rivalry

aim of Klenian therapy

reduce depressive anxieties and persecutory fears and to mitigate harshness of internalized objects

what did Klein do in their therapy

encouraged patients to re-experience early emotions and fantasies as she points out differences between reality and fantasy between conscious and unconscious

• controverisal

  • negative transference of child to therapist is key, demonstrate aggression

play therapy

children play and express their conscious and unconscious desires

• get sense of how child is expressing self

• goal: point out differences between projections and phantasies and what is really happening

Mahler’s stages of devleopment

1. normal autism

2. normal symbiosis

separation-individuation

normal autism

(Mahler’s stage of development)

first stage where all infant’s needs are satisfied automatically, without infant having to deal with external world

• birth - 3/4 wks

• absolute primary narcissism, unaware of any other person

• objectless stage

normal symbiosis

(Mahler’s stage of development)

second stage marked by a dual unity of infant and mother

• wk 4/5 - month 4/5

• functions as omnipotent system with mom

• not true symbiosis, mother doesn’t need infant

• mutual cueing

• people are preobjects to the infant

separation-individuation

(Mahler’s stage of development)

third stage marked by child becoming an individual separate from its mother

• 4/5 months - 30/36 months

• psychologically separated from mothers, individuation, develop personal identity

• face vulnerability and external threats

• give up on delusions of omnipotence

separation-individuation stages

1. differentiation

2. practicing

3. rapprochement

4. libidinal object constancy

differentiation

first stage of separation-individuation

• month 5-7/10

• body breaking away from mother-infant symbiotic orbit

• smile to mother, indicating bond

• healthy: curious about strangers

• unhealthy: fear and recoil from strangers

practicing

second stage of separation-individuation

• 7/10-15/16 months

• physically move away from mothers by crawling and walking

• easily distinguish their body from mothers

• develop autonomous ego

• establish healthy bond with mother

• do not lose sight of mother (secure base)

rapprochement

third stage of separation-individuation

• 16-25 months

• desire to bring mother and self back together psychologically and physically

• want to share each new skill with mother

• show more separation anxiety, cognitively aware of separateness

• fight dramatically in rapprochement crisis, fighting with caregivers b/c scared of losing them

libidinal object constancy

fourth stage of separation-individuation

• 3rd year of life

• children must develop inner representation of mother to tolerate being physically separated from her

  • if not developed, will continue to depend on mothers presence

• need to separate to develop other object relations

errors in Mahler’s development would lead to….

stunted development, unable to separate from caregiver and have no personal identity

• leads to long term psychological issues

selfobjects

(Kohut)

parents or other significant adults in a child’s life who eventually become incorporated into the child’s sense of self

Kohut’s View

emphasized process by which self evolves from vague image to clear and precise sense of individual identity

• focused on early mother-child relation

• human relatedness is core of personality

• infants naturally narcissistic

Kohut’s narcissistic needs

• need to exhibit grandiose self

  • self established when infant relates to mirroring selfobject reflecting approval

  • if others see me as perfect, i am perfect

• need to acquire idealized image of one or both parents

  • idealized parent image implies that someone else is perfect

  • you are perfect but I am part of you

• both necessary for personality development

  • if unaltered later to realistic, become pathologically narcissistic adult

Winnicott’s view

• early in life, have to move from state of omnipotence to objective reality

  • infants start to believe they create conditions and satisfy own needs, omnipoteent

• for smooth development, need good enough parents

good enough parents

not perfect parents, do what is best for development of the child including withdrawal

• overtime, must withdraw and not satisfy needs immediately so child gets sense of objective reality

separation anxiety

(Bowlby)

reactions of infants upon losing sight of their primary caregiver

• protest stage: cry, resist soothing, search for caregiver

• despair stage: quiet, sad, passive, listless, apathetic

• detachment stage: unique to humans, emotionally detached from others including caregiver

  • if caregiver returns, infant disregards and avoids

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory

object relations integrated with evolution

• extrapolated from childhood to adulthood

• separation anxiety

fundamental assumptions of attachment theory

• responsive and accessible caregiver (mother) must create secure base for for child

  • accessible and dependable

  • child better able to gain confidence and explore

• bonding relationship becomes internalized and serves as mental working model on which future friendships and love relationships are built

  • relationships are two way streets

secure attachment

(Ainsworth, Strange Situation)

• 60%

• happy and initiate contact when mother returns

• foundation for play and exploration

anxious-ambivalent

(Ainsworth, Strange Situation)

• 15%

• upset when mother leaves, seek contact upon return but reject attempts at being soothed

• lack ability to engage in effective play and exploration

avoidant/dismissive

(Ainsworth, Strange Situation)

• 20%

• stay calm when mother leaves, accept stranger, ignore mom at return

• lack ability to engage in effective play and exploration

disorganized

(Ainsworth, Strange Situation)

• 5%

• no clear or consistent pattern of behaviours

critique

• heteronormative family structure

• mysticism

• utility of theoretical descriptions

psychological rebirth

in first 3 years, child develops psychological autonomy from parents and becomes independent of psychological entities

abuse thematic apperception test (themes and results)

four themes scored:

1. degree to which interpersonal relationships are seen as threatening vs safe

2. level of commitment and emotional sharing in relationships

3. ability to see self as distinct from others

4. accuracy of attributions about causes of people’s behaviours, thoughts, and feelings

results:

• PTSD and low self-esteem associated with tendency to view people as malevolent and less emotionally invested in relationships

• therapy should use relational perspective, healthy ways to react with others can help change their object relations

Hazan and Shaver attachment theory in adults

• securely attached adults more trust, closeness, romantic love

• avoidant want emotional independece

• anxious want strengthen emotional bonds by seekign out as much info as possible

• insecure are pathologically jealous

  • don’t deal with conflict well

• secure make better leaders