Object relations theory, primarily associated with Ronald Fairbairn and Melanie Klein, is a psychodynamic framework that emphasizes interpersonal relationships in psychological development. It explains how individuals internalize experiences with others, forming their psychic structure through 'introjects', and distinguishes between two psychological positions in infants: paranoid-schizoid and depressive. The theory highlights the impact of early nurturing experiences on mental and physical health, offering insights that can guide nursing practice in understanding children's behavior.

1. THEORY OF
OBJECT
RELATION
BY – HARIOM GANGWAR
MSC NURSING I YR
PSYCHIATRIC NURSING

2. INTRODUCTION :
OBJECT RELATIONS THEORY IS A PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY.
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,

3. MAJOR CONCEPTS:
• THEORY GUIDES INNER WORLD EXPLORATION AND
RECOGNIZES THE INTROJECTED PERSONS OF THE PAST
LIVING WITHIN THE PATIENT’S MIND, COMPRISING THE
PERSON’S PSYCHIC STRUCTURE (MOHL PC, 2008)
INTROJECTS :
INTROJECTS REFERS TO THE INTERNALIZED IMAGES OF
OTHERS WITHIN THE PATIENT.
FOCUS OF ATTENTION OF THE THEORY

4. 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.

5. 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.
• PARANOID–SCHIZOID POSITION - DURING THE FIRST 6
MONTHS OF LIFE
• DEPRESSIVE POSITION - DURING THE SECOND 6 MONTHS.

6. PARANOID–SCHIZOID
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

7. PARANOID–SCHIZOID 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).

8. PARANOID–SCHIZOID 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
INFANT’S BODY –KLEIN TERMS THIS PRESECUTORY ANXIETY .

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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.

14. 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_R
ELATIONS_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_OB
JECT_RELATIO...

15. THANK YOU