top #7 - leter views on object relations

• How does Object Relations theory explain personality?

  It focuses on internalized relationships with caregivers
• What are the two basic positions in Object Relations Theory?

  Not specified in the material
• Who are some prominent theorists that expanded Object Relations theory?

  Margaret Mahler, Heinz Kohut, John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth
• Where was Margaret Mahler born?

  Sopron, Hungary
• What was Mahler's primary concern in her studies?

  The psychological birth of the individual
• What significant contribution did Mahler make to psychology?

  Theory on separation and individuation
• What does psychological birth refer to according to Mahler?

  Becoming an individual separate from the caregiver
• What are the three developmental stages to achieve psychological birth and individuation according to Mahler?

  1. Normal Autism

  • Birth to 3-4 weeks
  • Infant is detached and self-absorbed

  1. Normal Symbiosis

  • 4-5 weeks to 4-5 months
  • Infant seeks a symbiotic relationship with caregiver

  1. Separation-Individuation

  • 4-5 months to 30-36 months
  • Child separates from caregiver, develops autonomy
• What characterizes the Normal Autism stage?

  Infant is detached and self-absorbed
• What happens during the Normal Symbiosis stage?

  Infants recognize their caregiver and seek closeness
• What is the focus of the Separation-Individuation stage?

  Developing autonomy while separating from caregiver
• What are the overlapping stages of Separation-Individuation according to Mahler?

  1. Differentiation

  • 5-7 to 10 months
  • Infants begin to break away from mother

  1. Practicing Substage

  • 7-10 to 15-16 months
  • Infants crawl and walk away from mother

  1. Rapproachment

  • 16 to 25 months
  • Desire to reunite with mother while exploring
• What is Libidinal Object Constancy?

  Developing a constant inner representation of the mother
• Who was Heinz Kohut?

  A neurologist and psychoanalyst
• What did Kohut emphasize in his theories?

  The evolution of the self from undifferentiated to clear
• What is the center of the individual's psychological universe according to Kohut?

  The self
• What are the two basic narcissistic needs identified by Kohut?

  Grandiose self and idealized parent image
• What happens if narcissistic self-images remain unaltered?

  They result in a pathologically narcissistic adult personality
• Who was John Bowlby?

  A psychologist known for attachment theory
• What does attachment theory explain?

  How parent-child relationships influence development
• What are the three stages of separation anxiety according to Bowlby?

  1. Protest stage

  • Infants cry and search for caregiver

  1. Despair stage

  • Infants become quiet and listless

  1. Detachment stage

  • Infants become emotionally detached from others
• What is a fundamental assumption of Attachment Theory?

  A responsive caregiver creates a secure base
• Who was Mary Ainsworth?

  A psychologist known for attachment styles
• What is the Strange Situation procedure used for?

  Measuring attachment styles between caregiver and infant
• What are the three attachment style ratings found by Ainsworth?

  1. Secure attachment

  • Happy and enthusiastic upon mother's return

  1. Anxious-resistant attachment

  • Upset when mother leaves, ambivalent on return

  1. Anxious-avoidant attachment

  • Calm when mother leaves, ignores her on return
• What is the significance of the Strange Situation procedure?

  It assesses the attachment style of infants
• What is the age range for the Normal Autism stage?

  Birth to 3-4 weeks
• What is the age range for the Normal Symbiosis stage?

  4-5 weeks to 4-5 months
• What is the age range for the Separation-Individuation stage?

  4-5 months to 30-36 months
• What is the age range for the Differentiation stage?

  5 to 7-10 months
• What is the age range for the Practicing Substage?

  7-10 to 15-16 months
• What is the age range for the Rapproachment stage?

  16 to 25 months