Psychoanalytic Week 8 Quiz

Object Relations: Major Theorists

W. R. D. Fairbairn and Donald Woods Winnicott.

Fairbairn: Background

Born 1889 in Edinburgh, Scotland; only child; strict Calvinist upbringing; studied philosophy, divinity, then medicine; extended Klein and overturned Freud.

Fairbairn: Core Break from Freud

Shifted from pleasure-seeking to object-seeking; libido aims for relationships, not gratification.

Fairbairn: Theory of Motivation

Primary drive is to form relationships (object-seeking) rather than seek pleasure.

Fairbairn: Theory of Development

Child is born with a “pristine ego”; development moves through infantile dependence → transitional phase → mature dependence.

Fairbairn: View of Mind

Different “self-states” with unique thoughts, feelings, and sensations; mind is structured around internalized object relations.

Fairbairn: Endopsychic Structure

Central ego, libidinal ego, anti-libidinal ego (internal saboteur), exciting object, rejecting object.

Fairbairn: Repression of Bad Objects

Unsatisfying or rejecting objects are repressed to retain connection; “a bad object is better than no object.”

Fairbairn: Moral Defense

Child blames self for bad experiences to preserve image of good caregivers.

Fairbairn: Psychopathology

Pathology arises from disturbed relationships, not instinctual conflict; unsatisfying objects become internalized.

Fairbairn: Parental Identification

May internalize unreachable or rejecting aspects of parents (e.g., depressed or narcissistic traits).

Fairbairn: Change/Treatment

Healing through authentic, transformative engagement with therapist; therapist shifts from good → bad → good again.

Fairbairn: Therapeutic Goal

Move from closed intrapsychic system to open, real interpersonal relationships.

Fairbairn: Diversity Considerations

Environment includes more than mother—father, grandparents, community; relational primacy applies cross-culturally.

Fairbairn: Theological/Philosophical

View of relationship as source of both wounding and healing; relational redemption theme parallels Christian theology.

Fairbairn: Religious Imagery

Therapist as “successor to the exorcist,” mediating healing and “casting out devils” (forgiveness and redemption).

Fairbairn Quote on Bad Objects

“Psychotherapist is the true successor to the exorcist… concerned with the forgiveness of sins and casting out of devils.”

Fairbairn Quote on Moral Defense

“It is better to be a sinner in a world ruled by God than to live in a world ruled by the Devil.”

Winnicott: Background

Born 1896 in Plymouth; pediatrician and psychoanalyst; supervised by Klein; famous for BBC talks on child development.

Winnicott: Central Focus

“No such thing as a baby—only a nursing couple.” Relationship with mother is central to development.

Winnicott: Theory of Motivation

Drive toward relationship and integration; facilitated by responsive caregiving.

Winnicott: Theory of Development

Progression: Absolute dependence → Relative dependence → Toward independence/interdependence.

Winnicott: Psyche and Soma

Psyche and body are integrated early in life; emotional and physical care are linked.

Winnicott: Graduated Failure of Adaptation

Caregiver’s gradual reduction of responsiveness supports the child’s growth and self-development.

Winnicott: Play and Growth

Play and transitional space enable integration of inner and outer reality; essential for creativity and selfhood.

Winnicott: True Self vs. False Self

True self = spontaneous, authentic self; False self = defensive adaptation to caregiver demands or impingement.

Winnicott: Key Concepts

Good enough mother, holding environment, mirroring, transitional objects, object usage, “going on being.”

Winnicott: Primary Maternal Preoccupation

Heightened sensitivity allowing mother to meet infant’s needs early in life.

Winnicott: Good Enough Mother

Provides reliable care, survives infant’s aggression, allows repair after rupture, and respects transitional objects.

Winnicott: Transitional Object

Symbolic item (e.g., blanket, toy) bridging subjective omnipotence and objective reality.

Winnicott: Subjective vs. Objective Reality

Healthy development balances internal fantasy with external truth.

Winnicott: Object Usage

Ability to relate to and use others as real, separate individuals.

Winnicott: Psychopathology

False self develops from maternal impingement or premature demands for adaptation to external reality.

Winnicott: Treatment

Provides a corrective holding environment; facilitates regression to developmental arrest for true self to emerge.

Winnicott: Therapeutic Goal

Help client relinquish false self and rediscover true self through relational provision.

Winnicott: Diversity Considerations

Mothering norms differ across cultures; therapists must contextualize “good enough” caregiving across cultural systems.

Winnicott: Spiritual/Philosophical

True self emergence parallels spiritual growth; caregiving experiences inform one’s experiential sense of God.

Winnicott: Religion and Transitional Space

God and faith understood as part of transitional phenomena—bridging internal and external realities.

Winnicott: Spiritual Symbolism

Mother’s good enough capacities become the basis for knowing love and trust in divine relationship.