THEORY OF
OBJECT
RELATION
BY HARIOM GANGWAR
MSC NURSING I YR
PSYCHIATRIC NURSING
INTRODUCTION :
OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY IS APSYCHODYNAMICTHEORY.
RONALD FAIRBAIRN COINED THE TERM "OBJECT RELATIONS
AND MELANIE KLEIN IS MOST COMMONLY IDENTIFIED WITH
THE TERM "OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY"
IT DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A MIND AS
ONE GROWS IN RELATION TO OTHERS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT.
THE THEORY MAY BE DEFINED AS A SYSTEM OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION BASED ON THE PREMISE
THAT THE MIND COMPRISES ELEMENTS TAKEN IN FROM
OUTSIDE, PRIMARILY ASPECTS OF THE FUNCTIONING OF
OTHER PERSONS."
THE THEORY EMPHASIZES INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS,
PRIMARILY IN THE FAMILY AND ESPECIALLY BETWEEN
MAJOR CONCEPTS:
THEORY GUIDES INNER WORLD EXPLORATION AND
RECOGNIZES THE INTROJECTED PERSONS OF THE PAST
LIVING WITHIN THE PATIENTS MIND, COMPRISING THE
PERSONS PSYCHIC STRUCTURE (MOHL PC, 2008)
INTROJECTS :
INTROJECTSREFERS TO THE INTERNALIZED IMAGES OF
OTHERS WITHIN THE PATIENT.
FOCUS OF ATTENTION OF THE THEORY
CONT...
OBJECTS : PEOPLE IN THE EXTERNAL WORLD WITH
WHOM AN INFANT ,CHILD AND ADULT INTERACT, OR PORTIONS
OF THEIR PERSONALITIES
INTERNAL OBJECTS : REPRESENTATION OR MENTAL IMAGE OF
SOME ONE IN THE EXTERNAL WORLD
EXTERNAL OBJECTS : AN EXISTING PERSON
OBJECT RELATION:OBJECT RELATIONS REFERS TO
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS OR SPECIFIC INTRAPSYCHIC
STRUCTURES .
CONT....
REPRESENTATION: REFERS TO THE WAY THE PERSON HAS OR
POSSESSES AN OBJECT.
PSYCHOLOGICAL POSITIONS: KLEIN EXPLAINS TWO
TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL POSITIONS DURING THE FIRST YEAR
OF LIFE.
PARANOIDSCHIZOID POSITION - DURING THE FIRST 6
MONTHS OF LIFE
DEPRESSIVE POSITION - DURING THE SECOND 6 MONTHS.
PARANOIDSCHIZOID
POSITION:
IN HER/HIS VERY EARLY MONTHS ,THE INFANT
EXPERIENCES AND EXPRESSES OVERWHELMING AND
CONTRADICTORY FEELINGS OF LOVE AND HATE ,PLEASURE
AND DESTRUCTION ,THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF FEEDING
AND EVACUATING , GOOD EXPERIENCES ARE
INTERNALIZED THROUGH RECEIVING LOVE AND
NOURISHMENT FROM THE BREAST , BAD FEELINGS ARE
EVACUATED THROUGH URINE ,FAECES ,WIND, VOMIT . THE
INFANT IS ENGAGED IN A CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO
MANAGE HIS/HER FEELINGS .S/HE FEARS THAT THE BAD
FEELINGS
PARANOIDSCHIZOID
POSITION:
CONT...
S/HE FEARS THAT THE BAD FEELINGS WILL TAKE OVER AND DESTROY
GOOD INNER OBJECTS . THEREFORE , BAD FEELINGS HAVE TO
SEPARATE FROM GOOD FEELINGS (SPLITTING), THIS IS OFTEN
ACCOMPLISHED BY THE PHANTASY OF EVACUATING THE BAD FEELINGS
INTO MOTHER (PROJECTION).HOWEVER THIS CARRIES WITH IT THE
DANGER THAT THE MOTHER WILL BECOME BAD ,AND THE BAD
FEELINGS ARE THEN EXPERIENCED AS COMING FROM HER
(PROJECTIVE IDENTIFICATION).
AN EXPERIENCE OF HUNGER ,LONGING AND LOVE FOR THE BREAST
AS A SOURCE OF NOURISHMENT MAY BE FOLLOWED BY FEELING OF
SATISFACTION , PLEASURE AND LOVE AFTER A LONG FEED .THEN THE
INFANT FEELS HER/HIMSELF TO BE GOOD AFTER RECEIVING
SOMETHING GOOD (INTROJECTION).
PARANOIDSCHIZOID
POSITION:
CONT...
BUT THE INFANTS HUNGER MAY ALSO GIVE RISE AFTER TO
AN AGGRESSIVE PHANTASY OF SWALLOWING EVERYTHING
FROM THE BREAST, DRAINING IT DRY THROUGH GREED AND
AGGRESSION . THE INFANT THEN FEELS GUILTY AND FEARS
BEING PUNISHED FOR HER/HIS GREED . S/HE MAY THEN
PHANTASISE THAT THE BREAST WITHHOLDING FOOD TO
PUNISH INFANT ,LEADING TO MORE RAGE, AGGRESSION AND
GUILT .OR THE INFANT MAY PROJECT HIS/HER RAGE AND
AGGRESSION ONTO BREAST/MOTHER AND FEAR THAT BREAST
WILL ATTACK THE INFANT , SPOIL INSIDE OF INFANTS BODY
KLEIN TERMS THIS PRESECUTORY ANXIETY .
DEPRESSIVE POSITION:
THIS IS BEGINNING OF SYMBOL FORMATION , SO
THAT THE INFANT CAN TOLERATE PERIODS OF
SEPARATION AND DELAYED GRATIFICATION IF
S/HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO INTERNALISE ENOUGH
EXPERIENCE OF GOOD MOTHER/BREAST, I.E IF
THE GOOD INNER OBJECT IS SUFFICIENTLY
SECURE THE INFANT CAN TOLERATE ABSENCES OF
THE EXTERNAL OBJECTS .
THESE STEPS TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED SELF
AND OTHERS RELATIONSHIP EVOKE IMMENSE
GUILT IN THE INFANT AS S/HE REALISES THAT THE
MOTHER S/HE ATTTACKS AND HATES IS THE SAME
MOTHER S/HE LOVES AND NEEDS . KLEIN TERMS
THIS THE MOVEMENT FROM RELATING TO PART
OBJECT TO RELATING TO WHOLE OBJECT .THE
INFANT FEARS THAT HIS/HER RAGEFUL ATTACKS
EVOLUTION OF OBJECT
RELATIONS THEORY:
PSYCHOANALYSIS FOCUSED ON DRIVES. VIEW OF HUMAN
NATURE PESSIMISTIC, AN ONGOING CONFLICT TO RESOLVE
DRIVES: PLEASURE(SEXUAL) AND AGGRESSION; MASTERY
AND COMPETENCE
EGO PSYCHOLOGY VIEWS HUMANS AS LESS DRIVE RIDDEN
AND CAPABLE OF ADAPTING TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT TO
MEET NEEDS
OBJECT RELATIONS THEORISTS LOOKS AT HUMAN
RELATIONSHIPS AS KEY IN FORMING PERSONALITY AND
FACILITATING ADAPTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT
EFFECTS OF EARLY
NURTURING:
CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES WITH ABUSE, POVERTY, NEGLECT,
AND FAMILY STRUGGLES CORRELATE WITH LATER HEALTH
PROBLEMS (PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH)
RELATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF INFANTS AND CHILDREN AFFECT
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM MECHANISMS THAT GOVERN
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO STRESS
ATTACHMENT DIFFICULTIES DURING THE FIRST 3 YEARS OF LIFE
IMPACT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND CAN CONTINUE TO DO SO
THROUGH AGE 20
EFFECTS OF EARLY
NURTURING (CONT.)
ANIMAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT RECEIVING WARM
AND RESPONSIVE ATTENTION FROM A CARE PROVIDER
PREVENTS ELEVATIONS IN STRESS HORMONES
MORE RECEPTOR SITES FOR STRESS-MEDIATING
NEUROCHEMICALS ARE PRODUCED
INSECURE RELATIONSHIPS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH
HIGHER STRESS HORMONE PRODUCTION (CORTISOL)
IMPLICATIONS TO NURSING:
THE OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY HELPS UNDERSTANDING
OF CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOUR AND GUIDES NURSING
PRACTICE.
THE THEORY PROVIDES CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR
PRACTICING PSYCHODYNAMIC FAMILY.
REFERENCES
PSYCHIATRY, THIRD EDITION. EDRS. ALLAN TASMAN, JERALD KAY,
JEFFREY A. LIEBERMAN, MICHAEL B. FIRST AND MARIO MAJ.JOHN
WILEY & SONS, LTD, 2008.
HTTP://WWW.CURRENTNURSING.COM/NURSING_THEORY/OBJECT_
RELATIONS_THEORY.HTML
HTTP://SLIDEPLAYER.COM/SLIDE/8404259/
HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/OBJECT_RELATIONS_THEORY
WWW.LIFEFORCE-
CENTRE.CO.UK/.../AN_INTRODUCTION_TO_MELANIE_KLEIN_AND_
OBJECT_RELATIO...
THANK YOU
