fei75766_ch05_149-178.indd 175  02/06/20 11:22 AM
Chapter 5    Klein: Object Relations Theory175
Because they emphasize the mother–child relationship and view these 
experiences as crucial to later development, object relations theorists rate 
high on determinism  and low on free choice.
For the same reason, these theorists can be either pessimistic  or opti-
mistic, depending on the quality of the early mother–infant relationship. If that 
relationship is healthy, then a child will grow into a psychologically healthy 
adult; if it is not, the child will acquire a pathological, self-absorbed personality.
On the dimension of causality versus teleology,  object relations theory 
tends to be more causal. Early experiences are the primary shapers of person -
ality. Expectations of the future play a very minor role in object relations theory.
We rate object relations theory high on unconscious determinants 
of behavior  because most of the theorists trace the prime determinants of 
behavior to very early infancy, a time before verbal language. Thus, people 
acquire many personal traits and attitudes on a preverbal level and remain 
unaware of the complete nature of these traits and attitudes. In addition, 
Klein’s acceptance of an innately  acquired phylogenetic endowment places 
her theory even further in the direction of unconscious determinants.
The emphasis that Klein placed on the death instinct and phylogenetic 
endowment would seem to suggest that she saw biology as more important 
than environment in shaping personality. However, Klein shifted the empha -
sis from Freud’s biologically based infantile stages to an interpersonal one. 
Because the intimacy and nurturing that infants receive from their mother are 
environmental experiences, Klein and other object relations theorists lean 
more toward social determinants  of personality.
On the dimension of uniqueness versus similarities,  object relations 
theorists tend more toward similarities. As clinicians dealing mostly with dis -
turbed patients, Klein, Mahler, Kohut, and Bowlby limited their discussions to 
the distinction between healthy personalities and pathological ones and were 
little concerned with differences among psychologically healthy personalities.
Key Terms and Concepts
•Object relations theories assume thatthemother–child relationship during 
thefirst4or5months isthemost critical timeforpersonality development.
•Klein believed thatanimportant partofanyrelationship istheinternal 
psychic representations ofearly significant objects, suchasthemother’s 
breast orthefather’s penis.
•Infants introject these psychic representations intotheirownpsychic 
structure andthenproject them ontoanexternal object, thatis,another 
person. These internal pictures arenotaccurate representations oftheother 
person butareremnants ofearlier interpersonal experiences.
•Theego,which exists atbirth, cansense bothdestructive andloving forces, 
thatis,bothanurturing andafrustrating breast.Final PDF to printer