Chapter 5 Klein (and others) Object Relations Theory

Chapter 5 Klein (and others) Object Relations Theory

Chapter 5 Klein (and others): Object Relations Theory
Objects Relations Theory emphasizes the importance of the first 4-6 months after
birth; infant’s drives (hunger, sex, etc.) are directed to an object (breast, penis,
vagina, etc.); emphasizes the nurturing and loving relationship between parent and
child; Klein began with Freud’s basic assumption that the object of a drive is any
person, part of a person, or thing through which the aim is satisfied; then speculated
on how the infant’s real or fantasized early relations with the mother or breast
become a model for all later interpersonal relationships
I. II. III. IV. Melanie Klein – born March 30, 1882 in Vienna, Austria; felt neglected by
her father and smothered by her mother; loved her older sister who died
when Melanie was 4; then became attached to older brother Emmanuel;
he died when Melanie was 20; married Arthur Klein who was a close
friend of Emmanuel; not a happy marriage; hated sex and pregnancy; had
3 children; separated from husband in 1919 but did not divorce for
several years; psychoanalyzed children directly, including two of Karen
Horney’s daughters; believed that children internalized both positive and
negative feelings toward their mother and that they develop a superego
much earlier than Freud believed; early superego produces guilt, not
terror; this harsh, cruel superego is responsible for many antisocial and
criminal tendencies in adults; had an antagonistic relationship with
daughter Melitta both personally and professionally; died in England on
September 22, 1960
Margaret Mahler – 1897-1985; born in Hungary; M.D.; psychological
birth of the individual takes place in the first 3 years of life (child becomes
an individual, separate from primary caregiver which ultimately leads to a
sense of identity)
Heinz Kohut – 1913-1981; born in Vienna; neurologist and
psychoanalyst; focused on early mother-child relationship as the key to
understanding later development; infants require caregivers not only to
gratify physical needs but also to satisfy basic psychological needs
John Bowlby – 1907-1990; born in London; M.D.; psychiatrist and
psychoanalyst; trained in child psyc under Klein
A. Attachment Theory – should study childhood directly and not rely on
distorted retrospective accounts from adults; infant and caregiver
must be responsive to each other and each must influence others’
behavior; based on two assumptions
1. a responsive and accessible caregiver must create a secure base for
child; infant needs to know caregiver is accessible and dependable
– then child is better able to develop confidence and security
2. a bonding relationship (or lack thereof) becomes internalized and
serves as a mental working model on which future friendship and
love relationships are built
B. Separation Anxiety V. VI. 1. Protest Stage – when caregiver is first out of sight, infant will cry,
resist soothing by other people, and search for caregiver
2. Despair – as separation continues, infants become sad, quiet,
passive, listless, and apathetic
3. Detachment – infant becomes emotionally detached from other
people including caregiver; if caregiver returns, infant will
disregard and avoid her/him; children who become detached are
no longer upset when caregiver leaves them
Mary Ainsworth – 1919-1999; born in Glendale, Ohio; influenced by
Bowlby’s theory; set up “Strange Situation” – 20 minute lab session in
which mom and infant are initially alone in playroom; stranger comes into
room and after a few minutes the stranger begins a brief interaction with
infant; mom then goes away for two separate 2-minute periods; during
the 1st period, infant is left alone with stranger; during 2nd period, infant is
left completely alone; the critical behavior is how the infant reacts when
mom returns; this behavior is the basis of the attachment style rating:
A. Secure Attachment – when mom returns, infants are happy and
enthusiastic and initiate contact (want to be held)
B. Anxious-Resistant – infants are ambivalent; when mom leaves the
room they become unusually upset and when mom returns they seek
contact with her but reject attempts at being soothed; infant gives
very conflicted messages; seek contact yet squirm to be put down;
throw away toys mom offers them
C. Anxious-Avoidant – infant stays calm when mom leaves; they accept
the stranger and when mom returns they ignore and avoid her
Related Research
A. people with traumatic childhoods see other people as dangerous and
rejecting; this can result in the development within themselves of
feelings of shame and unworthiness
B. Cindy Hazan and Phil Shaver – predicted that different types of early
attachment styles would distinguish the kind, duration, and stability
of adult love relationships; people who had secure early attachments
with their caregivers would experience more trust, closeness, and
positive emotions in their adult love relationships than would people
in either of the two insecure groups; avoidant adults would fear
closeness and lack trust; ambivalent adults would be preoccupied
with and obsessed by their relationships; research supported these
predictions; securely attached adults were more likely than insecure
adults to believe that romantic love can be long lasting; securely
attached adults were less cynical about love in general, had longer
lasting relationships, and were less likely to divorce than avoidant or
ambivalent adults