THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

Cortez, Carry Dave P. – PSY301

MIDTERMS Klein 4-6 months of life

TOPICS Freud 4-6 years of life
5. Melanie Klein Mahler 1-3 years of life
5.1 Biography
5.2 Object Relation Theory - Freud used the term ‘object’ to refer to
5.3 Ad any target through which an infant
5.4 Psychic Life of the Infant seeks to satisfy the aim of a drive.
5.5 Positions - Object, according to Klein (ORT) is the
5.6 Psychic Defense Mechanism aim of relational needs in human
5.7 Internalization development.
5.8 Mahler’s Security to Autonomy - Object Relations are intrapsychic
5.9 Kohut’s Development of the Self experiences of those early
5.10 Bowlby’s Separation Anxiety relationships–relationships with an
5.11 Ainsworth’s Strange Situation object.
5.12 Kleinian Therapy - ORT suggests that from birth onward,
5.13 Related Research individuals seek to develop human
5.14 Critiques relationships and form attachments
5.15oncept of Humanity that may aid or hinder their
development.
5.1 Biography
Maternal Intimacy
• Sandor Ferenczi as turning point in - emphasized the nurturing and loving
her life as she entered analysis. relationship between parent and child.
• Karen Horney analyzed Melitta, Object
daughter of Melanie. - A breast, penis, vagina, and so on,
• She believed that children internalize which infant’s drive (hunger, sex and
both positive and negative feeling so forth) are directed.
toward their mother; develop - Can be primarily people (primary
superego much earlier than Freud caregiver and significant others)
believed. may also be things (pacifiers, teddy
• Melitta married Walter Schimideberg, bears, blankets).
who opposed Klein and supported - Less emphasis in biology; human
Anna Freud. contact and relatedness as the prime
5.2 Object Relation Theory motive.
- This theory is an offspring of Freud’s 5.3 Ad
Instinct Theory, but differs in 3 ways:
▪ Place less emphasis in biology. - Klein believed that in dealing with
▪ More maternal their drives, children construct their
▪ Human contact and relatedness own internal mental representations
as the prime motive of human of other people (external), they then
motivation. use subsequent experiences with
those people to confirm or disconfirm
- Stressed the importance of the first 4-6 their internal representations and to
months after birth compared to Freud interpret their relationships with them.
who emphasized 4-6 years and Mahler - Personally, internal mental
emphasizing the first 1-3 years of life. representations are somehow the
 same with our preconceived notions - Vital in Object Relations Theory
with other people. because they offer insights into how
- Ex. They can identify their caregiver’s early experiences and emotions
identity even if they are not around. shape an individual’s personality
5.4 Psychic of Life of the Infant and their capacity for forming
relationships throughout life.
Phantasies
- Refers to imaginative and often Paranoid-Schizoid Position
unconscious fantasies or mental - An early developmental phase typically
images that infants create to make occurring during the first few months
sense of their experiences. of life; in this position, the infant
- Serve as their interpretive lens experiences the world in a highly
through which they view their polarized and fragmented manner.
caregivers, themselves, and their - Entirely good or entirely bad of the
environment. objects.
- Loving and Nurturing Figure – if - Develops during the first 3 or 4
caregiver responds to their needs with months of life, during which time the
warmth and comfort. ego’s perception of the external world
- Rejecting and Frightening Phantasy is subjective and fantastic rather than
– if caregiver responds to their distress objective.
with frustration and neglect. - Ex. Rather than fearing its own death
- It remains hidden in the infant’s instinct, the infant fears the
unconscious, infant does not possess persecutory (danger) breast. But the
cognitive awareness to reflect on or infant also has a relationship with the
express these mental images, instead, ideal breast, which provides love,
they operate beneath the surface, comfort, and gratification.
influencing the infant’s emotional - A crucial phase in an infant’s early
reactions and shaping their early development, where they are
experiences. primarily focused on their own
- Known as the “psychic needs and desires.
representations of unconscious id
instincts”. Splitting
- Ex. Sucking their thumbs – dreaming - perceives the world or their caregivers
of their mom’s good breast. While cry in a dichotomous way; either
and kick their leg – dreaming of bad entirely good or entirely bad.
- Ex.
breast.
5.5 Positions Projection
- Refers to specific psychological - Employs defense mechanism, which
states that an infant goes through they attribute their own feelings, both
during their early development. good and bad, onto external objects.
- Way of dealing with both internal - Ex. If the infant is experiencing
and external objects. aggressive impulses, they may project
- Infants alternate back and forth; these these onto their caregiver, believing
are not periods of time or phases of that the caregiver harbors hostile
development through which a person intentions.
passes.
 Intense Anxiety Ego Development
- This anxiety stems from the infant’s - Represents their conscious and
inability to reconcile the conflicting rational self, becomes more
perceptions of objects, which can prominent.
manifest in behaviors such as - It allows them to mediate between
withdrawal and tantrums. their own desires and the external
world’s demands, fostering a capacity
for empathy and cooperation.
Depressive Position 5.6 Psychic Defense Mechanisms
- Typically follows the Paranoid- - Unconscious psychological
Schizoid Positions, usually emerging processes that individuals employ to
around the age of 6 months to a year. manage and regulate their
- The feelings of anxiety over losing a emotions, particularly when they
loved object coupled with a sense of encounter conflicts and anxieties.
guilt for wanting to destroy that object - Goal: Protect their ego against the
constitute. anxiety aroused by their own
- The infant develops a more realistic destructive fantasies. These intense
picture of the mother and recognizes destructive feelings originate with oral-
that she is an independent person who sadistic anxieties concerning the
can be both good and bad. breast—the dreaded, destructive
- The ego is beginning to mature to breast on the one hand and the
the point at which it can tolerate some satisfying, helpful breast on the other.
of its own destructive feelings rather - Rigid use – limits individual’s
than projecting them outward. capacity to have reciprocal
- It signifies a more advanced level of relationship, be empathetic.
emotional and cognitive - These mechanisms operate on an
development. unconscious level.
- Infants learn the ability to experience
empathy and guilt, and the capacity Introjection
for cooperative and reciprocal - Way of incorporating the perceived
interactions. good and bad aspects of objects into
Integration the self.
- Infant begins to integrate their - Ex. Infant may introject a loving and
perceptions of objects; they nurturing caregiver, incorporating
recognize that people (especially that caregiver’s qualities into their own
caregivers) can have both good and sense of self; they may also introject
bad qualities simultaneously. a rejecting caregiver, leading to
- Marked by a more mature and feelings to unworthiness or self-
balanced understanding of the criticism.
world.
Projection
Guilt and Concern - Involves attributing one’s own
- With the integration of good and bad thoughts, feelings, and qualities to
qualities in caregivers, infant may external objects.
experience guilt, empathy, and - Often employed when individuals find it
concern for their caregivers. challenging to accept and
- Emergence of a more sophisticated acknowledge their own negative
emotional and moral framework. emotions or qualities.
- Ex. An infant who experiences Ego Internalizations
aggression might project these - Involves integrating the qualities,
feelings onto their caregiver, behaviors, and experiences of
believing that the caregiver harbors caregiver into one’s ego.
hostile intentions. - Ex. When an infant experiences
consistent comfort and nurturing from
Splitting a caregiver, they may internalize these
- A defense mechanism closely qualities into their ego.
associated with the Paranoid-Schizoid - Can result in a sense of self that has
Position. the capacity for self-soothing and
- involves dividing external objects empathy, form positive relationships.
into rigid, all-good or all-bad
categories. Superego Internalizations
- This polarization of objects allows the - Incorporation of moral and ethical
individual to avoid the difficulty of standards from caregivers.
holding both good and bad qualities - The superego, representing the
within a single object. internalized moral conscience, formed
- It can result in a fragmented view of through the internalization of
the world and others. caregivers’ values, expectations,
and rules.
Projective Identification - Ex. When a caregiver consistently
- Involves projecting one’s own emphasizes honesty and kindness,
internal conflicts and emotions onto a child internalizes these values,
others and in doing so, evoking in leading to a superego that places
them the very feelings or behaviors importance on these qualities.
that mirror the projector’s unconscious
emotions. Oedipal Complex
- Can be a powerful mechanism in - Cornerstone of Freudian
shaping the behavior and psychoanalysis, is a pivotal component
responses of others, particularly in of internalizations.
close relationships. - This complex plays a crucial role in
shaping an individual’s superego,
5.7 Internalization as it contributes to the development of
- Processes through which individuals moral values, gender identity, and a
absorb and integrate external sense of self.
objects (typically caregivers) into their - Boys typically internalize moral
psychological makeup. standards based on identification with
- These internalized objects play a their fathers
significant role in shaping the - Girls typically internalize moral
individual’s self-concept, values grounded in their identification
understanding of the world, and with their mothers.
moral and ethical framework. - Qualities and behaviors internalized
Id – instinctual, primal part of self. from caregivers significantly shape the
Ego – conscious, rational, and decision- way individuals approach
making aspect. relationships, seek security, and form
Superego – embodies the internalized attachments.
moral and ethical standards. - Ex. Individuals who have internalized a
sense of trust and security from early
 caregivers may be more open and - Symbiosis - signifies close and
secure in their adult relationship. mutually dependent relationship
5.8 Mahler’s Psychological Birth between the infant and caregiver.
- Infant begins to develop a sense of
Introduction to Mahler’s View self that is distinct from the external
- Primarily concerned with the world.
psychological birth of the individual that - While the infant is becoming more
takes place during the first 3 years of aware of their separateness, they
life - a time when a child gradually remain closely attached to the
surrenders security to autonomy. caregiver.
- Psychological Birth - child becomes
an individual separate from his/her
primary caregiver, an
accomplishment that leads to a sense Separation Individuation
of identity. - 4th - 5th till 30th - 36th month
- Errors during first 3 years of life, a - Child embarks on the gradual
time for psychological birth, may lead process of establishing a sense of
to regression to a stage when a autonomy and individuality while
person had not yet achieved preserving an emotional connection
separation from the mother. with the caregiver.
- Key to Separation-Individuation is - Divided into 4 overlapping stages:
the child’s growing recognition of
their independence and a desire to Differentiation
explore the world on their own. - 5th till 7th - 10th month.
- Developing motor skills (e.g., - Bodily breaking away from the
crawling, walking) enable the child to mother-infant symbiotic orbit
venture further from the caregiver. (analogous to the hatching of an egg).
- Will be curious about strangers
Two Major Developmental Stages (healthy infants); fear strangers
(unhealthy infants).
Normal Autism - Infants start to recognize that they are
- Birth to age 3 - 4 weeks. separate individual.
- Infant is essentially self-absorbed,
engrossed in their internal world, and Practicing
experiences what is often described as - 7th - 10th month till 15th - 16th
‘primary narcissism’. month
- Core of this stage: infants have limited - Engage in various exploratory
awareness of the external behaviors (e.g., crawling, walking)
environment and other individuals. that allow them to actively explore
- Primary focus is on fulfilling basic their surroundings and grant them a
psychological needs (e.g., hunger, sense of autonomy and independence.
warmth, comfort). - Children begin to test boundaries and
assert their emerging
Normal Symbiosis independence.
- 4th - 5th weeks
- Begin to recognize their primary Rapprochement
caregiver and seek symbiotic - 16th - 25th months.
relationship with her.
- Recurring cycle of movement toward unimportant physical complaints,
independence and return to the and chronic sense of emptiness
caregiver for security. which in turn have exaggerated sense
- May experiment being more self- of self-importance and self-
reliant but then experience involvement, behaviors that hide a
separation anxiety or uncertainty, fragile sense of self-worth.
which prompt them to seek proximity
and comfort from their caregiver. - For Kohut, an Oedipus complex that
- Rapprochement Crisis - children fight is filled with conflict may be a sign
dramatically with their mother because that narcissistic parents have been
of unsuccessful attempts to bring unable to respond with empathy to
back the bond with the caregiver. their preschool-age child and may
lead their child to turn to a fantasy life.
Libidinal Constancy - On the other hand, he believed that
- 3rd year of life. when children develop normally,
- Develop a constant inner Oedipus complex may be a joyful
representation of their mother so experience.
that they can tolerate being - Thus, he pointed out that it is
physically separate from her. indispensable for children to have a
- Infant learn to trust that the caregiver nurturing and affectionate parents.
remains available and responsive, - Authoritative (rather than permissive
even when temporarily separated this and authoritarian) parenting style is
marks a level of emotional maturity. less likely to foster narcissistic
maladjustment.
5.9 Kohut’s Development of the Self
- Focuses on empathy and child 5.10 Bowlby’s Separation Anxiety
narcissism. - Became dissatisfied with the object
- Early mother-child relationship as relations perspective due to lack of
the key to understanding later empiricism and inadequate theory
development. of motivation.
- Human relatedness is the core of - Realized that ORT could be
human personality. integrated with an evolutionary
- Pride, guilt, shame, envy - attitudes perspective and felt he could correct
that form the building blocks of self. the shortcomings of the ORT.
- Infants are naturally narcissistic - - Firmly believed that attachments
self-centered, looking out for own formed during childhood have
welfare, wishing to be admired for who greatest impact on adulthood.
they are and what they do. - Both human and primate infants go
- He believed that children need to be through a clear sequence of
mirrored - to have their talk and their reactions when separated from their
accomplishments acknowledged, primary caregivers.
accepted, and praised. - Convinced of the importance of the
- Kohut believed that disorders of the mother-baby bond and warned
self-arise from a failure in parental against separating mother and baby
empathy and mirroring. without providing good substitute care.
- Narcissistic disorders are
characterized by recurrent self-
absorption, low self-esteem,
 2 Fundamental Assumptions of interactions toward the
familiar caregiver.
Bowlby’s Theory - Stage 1, baby may look
1. Responsible accessible caregiver intently at the primary
caregiver.
(mother) must create a secure base for - Stage 2, baby looks
the child. intently, reaches
toward the caregiver’s
2. Bonding relationship becomes face, and pulls the
internalized and serves as mental caregiver’s hair.
6-9 Months - Babies want to be
working model on which future physically close to the
relationships are built. object(s) of
attachment.
- Ability to crawl and to
Attachment Style coordinate reaching
and grasping
- A relationship between two people contribute to greater
not a trait given to infant by caregiver. control over the
outcomes of their
- From an ethological perspective, it is a actions
two-way street, infant and caregiver - Babies experiment with
finding an optimal
must be responsible to each other distance from the
and each must influence the other’s caregiver.
9-12 Months - Mental representation
behavior. of their caregivers.
- Given the prolonged dependent state - Mental picture as
working model of an
of human infants, this attachment
attachment/caregiving system is the relationship.
12 Months and Older - Uses variety of
foundation of survival in infancy behaviors to influence
and early childhood. the behavior of an
objects of attachment,
- Nature of attachment also shapes to satisfy needs for
the child’s ability to form close safety and closeness.
relationships in later life stages,
which has implications for the two Three Stages of Separation Anxiety
subsequent tasks: finding a mate and
rearing one’s young. Protest Stage
- An initial response when a child
5 Stages in Development of experiences separation from the
Attachment caregiver.
First 3 Months - Infants engage in a - Children typically exhibits distress,
variety of behaviors,
including sucking, which can include crying,
rooting, grasping, screaming, resisting comfort from
smiling, gazing,
cuddling, crying, and other people.
visual tracking or - They actively search for their
following, which serve
to maintain closeness caregiver, making persistent efforts to
with a caregiver or reestablish contact.
bring the caregiver to
the infant.
- Experience repeated Despair
interactions which
result in the formation - Infants often display signs of
of predictable patterns. sadness, hopelessness, and sense
3-6 Months - Infant’s attachment is of helplessness.
expressed through - They become quiet, passive, sad,
preferential
responsiveness to a apathetic, they may withdraw from
few familiar figures. social interactions and become less
- During this phase,
babies initiate more active.
 - If babies were distressed during
Detachment (or Denial) separation, the mothers’ return
- A coping mechanism that children may reduces their distress and the
employ after realizing that their babies return to exploration of the
attempts to regain the caregiver’s environment.
attention are unsuccessful. - Confident in the accessibility and
- children may appear more responsiveness of their caregiver.
emotionally distant and avoidant; - Type B personality
they are no longer upset when
caregiver leaves. Insecure Attachment (Anxious-
- This stage may serve as a self- Avoidant Attachment Style)
protective response to the distress - Infant rarely cries when separated
experienced during the earlier protest from primary caregiver and avoids
and despair stages. contact on his or her return.
- Mothers seem to reject their babies;
5.11 Ainsworth’s Strange Situation almost as if they were angry at their
- Influenced by Bowlby’s Theory babies; spend less time holding and
- Strange Situation - classic laboratory cuddling their babies than other
technique designed to assess mothers, and more of their interactions
attachment patterns between an appear to be unpleasant or even
infant and adult (typically the mother). hurtful.
- 20-Minute Laboratory Session in - At home these babies cry a lot, they
which situation introduces several are not readily soothed by contact
potentially threatening situations with the caregiver, and yet they appear
including the presence of a stranger, to be quite distressed by
the departure of the mother, being separations.
left alone with a stranger, and being - Type A personality
left completely alone, all in the
context of an unfamiliar laboratory Insecure Attachment (Anxious-
setting. Resistant Attachment Style)
- Make systematic observations of - Very cautious in the presence of the
the child’s behaviors, the stranger.
caregiver’s behaviors, and - Exploratory behavior is noticeably
characteristics of their interactions, disrupted by the caregivers’
as well as to compare these departure.
behaviors across varying segments of - When caregiver returns, the infants
the situation. appear to want to be close to the
caregiver, but they are also angry, so
4 Patterns of Quality of Attachment they are very hard to soothe or comfort
(ambivalent)/pabebe.
Secure Attachment - Have mothers who are inconsistent
- Infants actively explore their in their responsiveness; mothers
environment and interact with appear to be able to enjoy close
strangers while their mothers are physical contact with their babies, they
present. do not necessarily do so in ways
- Infant cries or protests when primary appropriate to the baby’s needs.
caregiver leaves and actively seeks - Type C personality
out caregiver on his or her return.
 Disorganized Attachment fantasies and imaginative
- No consistent strategy for managing representations of their inner world.
the stress of the situation. - In therapy, therapists work to
- After separation from primary caregiver understand and interpret these
they behave in contradictory, phantasies to help children work
unpredictable ways that seem to through their emotional issues and
convey feelings of extreme fear or anxieties.
utter confusion.
- Least secure pattern; Infants with this Transference and Countertransference
type of attachment approached - Transference refers to the child’s
strangers. projection of their feelings and
- Occur to premature child, those experience onto the therapist, which
whose mothers abuse alcohol and reflects their internalized object
drugs, has depression, and other relations.
mental illnesses. - Countertransference involves the
- Risk factor for later behavioral problem therapist’s emotional reactions to
especially aggressive conduct and the child’s projections.
psychiatric disorders.
- Type D personality Reparation and Integration
5.12 Kleinian Therapy - A central goal of Kleinian therapy is to
help children work through and
Play Therapy “repair” the anxieties and conflicts
- Placed a strong emphasis on related to their early object relations.
understanding and addressing the - Through this, child can gradually
inner world of the child. integrate their inner world,
- In play therapy, children are developing healthier relationships
encouraged to use toys and with themselves and others.
imaginative play to express and
explore their inner world, which Techniques and Intervention
allows therapists to gain insights into - Therapist’s role is to provide a safe
the child’s perception of relationships and empathic environment where
and how they cope with their emotions. the child can freely express their
- Particularly used with children who inner conflicts and anxieties.
have the difficulty conveying their
thoughts and emotions. 5.13 Related Research
- ORT in Play – Children reenact their
relationships with caregivers and Attachment Theory and Adult
significant figures through their play, Relationships
which provide a window into the - Extensive research has shown that the
child’s internal world, offering a attachment styles formed in childhood
glimpse into how they perceive and often continue into adulthood and
interact with their internalized objects. influence romantic and interpersonal
relationships.
Understanding Phantasies
- Klein placed a significant focus on Improved Attention and Memory in
understanding children’s Securely Attched Children
phantasies, which are unconscious - Research has shown that children
with secure attachment often exhibit
 enhanced attention and memory Determinants
Behavior
of

capabilities compared to those with

insecure attachment. Biological vs. Social Inclined towards the social and
Influences on psychological dimensions of
- This suggests that the secure Personality personality.
emotional bond formed with
Uniqueness vs. Recognizes both;
caregivers in early life can positively Similarities Among acknowledges that each
influence cognitive development, People person’s early object relations
are unique and contribute to their
potentially leading to improved individual personality.
academic performance and
However, it also identifies
problem-solving skills in late stages common patterns and
of life. dynamics that can be observed
in human relationships and
5.14 Critiques in ORT object relations.

Lack of Empirical Relies on clinical observations

Evidences and case studies.
Ambiguity and Different therapists may interpret
Subjectivity patients’ internal worlds
differently, potentially leading to
inconsistent or subjective
conclusions.
Inaccessibility to Key challenge of this theory is its
Direct Observation focus on internal psychological
processes and unconscious
phenomena which are not
directly observable.
Neglect of Cultural This theory did not fully consider
and Contextual the influence of cultural and
Factor contextual factors.
Gender Bias Klein’s theories, including her
concept of Oedipus complex
and her views on female
development, may reinforce
traditional gender stereotypes
and roles. Maternal instinct rather
than both maternal and paternal.
Limited Focus on Theory tends to emphasize
Positive Aspects negative aspects of human
development, such as early
traumas and conflicts.
Complex and ORT is considered complex and
Accessibility may be challenging to
comprehend for those without a
background in psychoanalysis
or psychology.
5.15 Concept of Humanity

Determinism vs. Free Determinism; it emphasizes the

Choice influence of early object
relations and unconscious
processes.
Pessimism vs. Both; acknowledges the
Optimism potential emotional conflicts
and anxieties resulting from
early object relations
(negative).

However, theory’s central goal is

to facilitate healing and
personal growth(positive).
Causality vs. Operates within causal
Teleology framework.
Conscious vs. Significant emphasis on
Unconscious unconscious determinants of
behavior.