THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
S.Y. ‘23 - ‘24 | SEM 2 | MIDTERMS PSY05
– SEM 2: MIDTERMS – experiences
1.0 MELANIE KLEIN ○ Klein pioneered child
★ Born on March 30, 1882 (Vienna, Austria) psychoanalysis
★ Died on September 22, 1960 ■ By working directly with
★ Father: Dr. Moriz Reizes (Physician) young children
○ Struggled financially; worked as a ● including her own
dental assistant ★ Her work challenged traditional
○ Felt distant from her father psychoanalytic views and emphasized the
★ Mother: Libussa Deutsch Reizes early internalization of parental figures.
○ Managed a shop selling reptiles and ★ Year 1962
plants ○ Moved to London
■ Klein was afraid of snakes ■ Invited by Ernest Jones
○ Idolized her mother; she found her ● Analyze children and
overbearing give lectures
★ Older Sister: Sidonie ★ She remained in England for the rest of her
○ Close with Klein life
○ Died when Klein was just 4 years old ★ Despite professional success, her personal
★ Brother: Emmanuel life became a turmoil
○ Deeply attached
○ Tutored her and helped her pass 1.1 STRUCTURE
entrance exams for a reputable
preparatory school ★ Internalizations
○ Died when Klein was 20 ○ The person takes in (introjects)
★ Husband: Arthur Klein aspects of the external world and
○ An engineer and a close friend of her then organizes those introjections
late brother into a psychologically meaningful
○ Regretted that her marriage framework.
prevented her from fulfilling her EGO
dream of becoming a physician. ★ Maturity begins at around the end of the
○ Marriage was unhappy first year
■ She disliked sex and ★ Complex psychic tasks of a child arise in
pregnancy the first few months of life
○ Separated on 1919 ★ At birth, a child is already dominated by its
★ Children: Melitta, Hans, Erich ego
★ Daughter: Melitta ★ Believe that ego exists at birth
○ Had a bad relationship with Klein ★ Conflict is already present from the moment
○ Later became an analyst you are born
○ Publicly opposed her mother’s ★ Ego begins to evolve with the infant’s first
theories experience with feeding
★ Youngest of 4 children in her family.
★ Believed that she was unplanned, leading to Development of Good Breast and Bad Breast
a feeling of rejection. Good Breast
★ Klein's early relationships were marked by ➢ A child is filled not only with milk but also
loss and emotional struggles. with love and care
★ Moved to Berlin after the separation Bad Breast
○ Established her psychoanalytic ➢ A child experiences the absence of milk,
practices love, and security
○ Made her first contribution to the
, THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
S.Y. ‘23 - ‘24 | SEM 2 | MIDTERMS PSY05
○ The prototype is not only for the ○ To avoid the bad or terrifying object
ego’s future development (breast or penis).
○ Additionally, for the individual’s later ★ Children are capable of both homosexual
interpersonal relationships. and heterosexual relations with both
★ Before a unified ego can emerge, it must parents.
first become split.
★ Klein assumed that infants innately strive 1.2 MOTIVATION
for integration
○ At the same time, they are forced to ★ Human infants as constantly engaging in a
deal with the opposing forces of life basic conflict between the life instinct and
and death, the death instinct
■ Reflected in their experience ○ between good and bad, love
with the good breast and the ○ and hate, creativity and destruction.
bad breast. ★ As the ego moves toward integration and
○ To avoid disintegration, the newly away from disintegration
emerging ego must split itself into: ○ Infants naturally prefer gratifying
■ The good me and the bad sensations over frustrating ones.
me. ★ In dealing with good and bad feelings,
○ Infants organize their experiences
SUPEREGO into positions
★ Klein’s concept of superego differs from ■ or ways of dealing with both
Freud in three aspects: internal and external objects.
○ It emerges much earlier in life;
○ It is not an outgrowth of the Oedipus
1.3 DETERMINANTS
complex;
○ It is much harsher and cruel.
★ The mature superego produces feelings of ★ Klein believed that internal psychic
inferiority and guilt representations,
★ The early superego produces not guilt but ○ The mental images of self and
terror. others formed from early
★ The superego develops in tandem with the experiences influence personality,
Oedipus complex emotions, and relationships.
○ ultimately emerges as realistic guilt
■ Following the resolution of 1.4 DEVELOPMENT
the Oedipus complex.
★ Psychic Life of Infants
OEDIPUS COMPLEX ○ Klein emphasized the first 4 or 6
★ Begins during the earliest months of life months as critical for development.
○ overlaps with the oral and anal ○ Infants are not born as blank slates;
stages ■ They have innate drives to
○ reaches its climax during the genital manage anxiety from the
stage at around age 3 or 4. conflict between life instinct
★ Significant part of the Oedipus complex is and death instinct.
children’s fear of retaliation from their ○ Klein used the concepts of positions
parents for their fantasy of emptying the rather than stages.
parents’ bodies. ★ Phantasies
★ The importance of children retaining ○ Infants are born with an active
positive feelings toward both parents phantasy life
, THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
S.Y. ‘23 - ‘24 | SEM 2 | MIDTERMS PSY05
■ Usually, to relieve tension, we ➢ Positive effect: enables to see both positive
need an object to achieve and negative aspects of themselves.
that. ➢ Negative effect: it may lead to pathological
○ The most important early object is repression.
the mother’s breast Projective Identification
■ But “very soon interest ➢ Infants split off unacceptable parts of
develops in the face themselves, project them into another
■ And in the hands which object,
attend to his needs and ➢ and finally introject them back into
gratify them”. themselves in a changed or distorted form.
1.5 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 1.6 PSYCHOTHERAPIES
★ Positions ★ Klein stated that psychoanalytic therapies
○ Ways of dealing with both internal cannot be used among children as a means
and external objects. that children who are still attached to their
○ These positions represent normal parents cannot develop a transference to
social growth in development. the therapist.
★ Two Positions: ★ Young and disturbed children should be
○ Paranoid-Schizoid Position psychoanalyzed
○ Depressive Position Disturbed Children:
★ Paranoid-Schizoid Position ★ Would receive a benefit from psychoanalytic
○ Way of organizing experiences that therapy through play therapy using paper,
includes both paranoid feelings of pen, crayon, a variety of small toys and so
being persecuted and a splitting of on.
internal and external objects into the ★ Klein believed that by fostering play therapy,
good and the bad. she used this as a substitute in terms of
★ Depressive Position dream analysis and free association
○ Feelings of anxiety over losing a technique.
loved object ★ Most disturbed children would attack her
○ Coupled with a sense of guilt for verbally,
wanting to destroy that object. ○ which may uncover the children’s
conscious and unconscious
Psychic Defense Mechanism motives.
★ Klein suggested that, from very early Young Children:
infancy, children adopt several psychic ★ Have only stated to profit from the therapy
defense mechanisms
★ To protect their ego against the anxiety Kleinian Therapy
aroused by their own destructive fantasies. ★ Reduce depressive anxieties and
Introjection persecutory fears, and mitigate the
➢ Infants fantasize taking into their body harshness of internalized objects.
those perceptions and experiences that they ○ To accomplish: must re-experience
have had with the external object, originally early emotions and fantasies
the mother’s breast. ■ The therapist, however,
Projection points out what reality and
➢ Fantasy that one’s own feelings and fantasy, and what's
impulses actually reside in another person conscious and unconscious.
and not within one’s body. ○ Allows patients to experience both
S.Y. ‘23 - ‘24 | SEM 2 | MIDTERMS PSY05
– SEM 2: MIDTERMS – experiences
1.0 MELANIE KLEIN ○ Klein pioneered child
★ Born on March 30, 1882 (Vienna, Austria) psychoanalysis
★ Died on September 22, 1960 ■ By working directly with
★ Father: Dr. Moriz Reizes (Physician) young children
○ Struggled financially; worked as a ● including her own
dental assistant ★ Her work challenged traditional
○ Felt distant from her father psychoanalytic views and emphasized the
★ Mother: Libussa Deutsch Reizes early internalization of parental figures.
○ Managed a shop selling reptiles and ★ Year 1962
plants ○ Moved to London
■ Klein was afraid of snakes ■ Invited by Ernest Jones
○ Idolized her mother; she found her ● Analyze children and
overbearing give lectures
★ Older Sister: Sidonie ★ She remained in England for the rest of her
○ Close with Klein life
○ Died when Klein was just 4 years old ★ Despite professional success, her personal
★ Brother: Emmanuel life became a turmoil
○ Deeply attached
○ Tutored her and helped her pass 1.1 STRUCTURE
entrance exams for a reputable
preparatory school ★ Internalizations
○ Died when Klein was 20 ○ The person takes in (introjects)
★ Husband: Arthur Klein aspects of the external world and
○ An engineer and a close friend of her then organizes those introjections
late brother into a psychologically meaningful
○ Regretted that her marriage framework.
prevented her from fulfilling her EGO
dream of becoming a physician. ★ Maturity begins at around the end of the
○ Marriage was unhappy first year
■ She disliked sex and ★ Complex psychic tasks of a child arise in
pregnancy the first few months of life
○ Separated on 1919 ★ At birth, a child is already dominated by its
★ Children: Melitta, Hans, Erich ego
★ Daughter: Melitta ★ Believe that ego exists at birth
○ Had a bad relationship with Klein ★ Conflict is already present from the moment
○ Later became an analyst you are born
○ Publicly opposed her mother’s ★ Ego begins to evolve with the infant’s first
theories experience with feeding
★ Youngest of 4 children in her family.
★ Believed that she was unplanned, leading to Development of Good Breast and Bad Breast
a feeling of rejection. Good Breast
★ Klein's early relationships were marked by ➢ A child is filled not only with milk but also
loss and emotional struggles. with love and care
★ Moved to Berlin after the separation Bad Breast
○ Established her psychoanalytic ➢ A child experiences the absence of milk,
practices love, and security
○ Made her first contribution to the
, THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
S.Y. ‘23 - ‘24 | SEM 2 | MIDTERMS PSY05
○ The prototype is not only for the ○ To avoid the bad or terrifying object
ego’s future development (breast or penis).
○ Additionally, for the individual’s later ★ Children are capable of both homosexual
interpersonal relationships. and heterosexual relations with both
★ Before a unified ego can emerge, it must parents.
first become split.
★ Klein assumed that infants innately strive 1.2 MOTIVATION
for integration
○ At the same time, they are forced to ★ Human infants as constantly engaging in a
deal with the opposing forces of life basic conflict between the life instinct and
and death, the death instinct
■ Reflected in their experience ○ between good and bad, love
with the good breast and the ○ and hate, creativity and destruction.
bad breast. ★ As the ego moves toward integration and
○ To avoid disintegration, the newly away from disintegration
emerging ego must split itself into: ○ Infants naturally prefer gratifying
■ The good me and the bad sensations over frustrating ones.
me. ★ In dealing with good and bad feelings,
○ Infants organize their experiences
SUPEREGO into positions
★ Klein’s concept of superego differs from ■ or ways of dealing with both
Freud in three aspects: internal and external objects.
○ It emerges much earlier in life;
○ It is not an outgrowth of the Oedipus
1.3 DETERMINANTS
complex;
○ It is much harsher and cruel.
★ The mature superego produces feelings of ★ Klein believed that internal psychic
inferiority and guilt representations,
★ The early superego produces not guilt but ○ The mental images of self and
terror. others formed from early
★ The superego develops in tandem with the experiences influence personality,
Oedipus complex emotions, and relationships.
○ ultimately emerges as realistic guilt
■ Following the resolution of 1.4 DEVELOPMENT
the Oedipus complex.
★ Psychic Life of Infants
OEDIPUS COMPLEX ○ Klein emphasized the first 4 or 6
★ Begins during the earliest months of life months as critical for development.
○ overlaps with the oral and anal ○ Infants are not born as blank slates;
stages ■ They have innate drives to
○ reaches its climax during the genital manage anxiety from the
stage at around age 3 or 4. conflict between life instinct
★ Significant part of the Oedipus complex is and death instinct.
children’s fear of retaliation from their ○ Klein used the concepts of positions
parents for their fantasy of emptying the rather than stages.
parents’ bodies. ★ Phantasies
★ The importance of children retaining ○ Infants are born with an active
positive feelings toward both parents phantasy life
, THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
S.Y. ‘23 - ‘24 | SEM 2 | MIDTERMS PSY05
■ Usually, to relieve tension, we ➢ Positive effect: enables to see both positive
need an object to achieve and negative aspects of themselves.
that. ➢ Negative effect: it may lead to pathological
○ The most important early object is repression.
the mother’s breast Projective Identification
■ But “very soon interest ➢ Infants split off unacceptable parts of
develops in the face themselves, project them into another
■ And in the hands which object,
attend to his needs and ➢ and finally introject them back into
gratify them”. themselves in a changed or distorted form.
1.5 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 1.6 PSYCHOTHERAPIES
★ Positions ★ Klein stated that psychoanalytic therapies
○ Ways of dealing with both internal cannot be used among children as a means
and external objects. that children who are still attached to their
○ These positions represent normal parents cannot develop a transference to
social growth in development. the therapist.
★ Two Positions: ★ Young and disturbed children should be
○ Paranoid-Schizoid Position psychoanalyzed
○ Depressive Position Disturbed Children:
★ Paranoid-Schizoid Position ★ Would receive a benefit from psychoanalytic
○ Way of organizing experiences that therapy through play therapy using paper,
includes both paranoid feelings of pen, crayon, a variety of small toys and so
being persecuted and a splitting of on.
internal and external objects into the ★ Klein believed that by fostering play therapy,
good and the bad. she used this as a substitute in terms of
★ Depressive Position dream analysis and free association
○ Feelings of anxiety over losing a technique.
loved object ★ Most disturbed children would attack her
○ Coupled with a sense of guilt for verbally,
wanting to destroy that object. ○ which may uncover the children’s
conscious and unconscious
Psychic Defense Mechanism motives.
★ Klein suggested that, from very early Young Children:
infancy, children adopt several psychic ★ Have only stated to profit from the therapy
defense mechanisms
★ To protect their ego against the anxiety Kleinian Therapy
aroused by their own destructive fantasies. ★ Reduce depressive anxieties and
Introjection persecutory fears, and mitigate the
➢ Infants fantasize taking into their body harshness of internalized objects.
those perceptions and experiences that they ○ To accomplish: must re-experience
have had with the external object, originally early emotions and fantasies
the mother’s breast. ■ The therapist, however,
Projection points out what reality and
➢ Fantasy that one’s own feelings and fantasy, and what's
impulses actually reside in another person conscious and unconscious.
and not within one’s body. ○ Allows patients to experience both
