Disciple of Sigmund Freud and one of the most important authors of psychoanalysis, Melanie Klein is known for her adjustment of the psychoanalytic model to the work with children , being one of the main authors in working with minors.

Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory, while continuing in many ways with Freud’s work, is notable for broadening and deepening aspects of development throughout childhood and creating a more focused approach to how the individual relates to objects (generally understood as other people), this being the basis of the theory of object relations.

Melanie Klein and the Object Relations Theory

Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory is mainly based on her theory of object relations . In this theory it is established that the subject relates to the environment based on the sensations and impulses he feels and projects onto the objects of his impulse. The relationships with such objects generate permanent traces that will mark the future relationship with others, internalizing the experiences lived and originating, based on them, the psychological structure of the subject.

Thus, the psychic configuration of a person would be based on how he or she has related and internalized the interaction with those objects, developing the individual on that basis. In other words, past learning is very important to Melanie Klein’s theory, unlike the biological current of the time, which defended the essence of genes.

The individual and his development

In Klein’s psychoanalytic theory, the human being is from birth in a constant state of conflict between life or love drives and death or hate . Throughout the development of the being, the subject must overcome the stages and conflicts that are proper to the vital stage he is living, forging a balance between the external and the internal through relationships with different objects and enriching his ego, personality and character over time.

During this development, the individual will go through different phases, varying the way in which we capture reality and relate our impulses and desires to it, and reaching different milestones and aspects that help us to generate an integrated self that allows us to face the conflicts between the desires of the self and the censorship of the Overself.

The Self in Psychoanalysis

Although Melanie Klein’s work is largely a follower of Sigmund Freud’s, there are some aspects in which divergences can be found.

One of the main ones is that while the father of psychoanalysis considers that at birth the human being is pure it, in Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory it is believed that from birth the infant has a primitive self that allows him to bond with objects and project his own unconscious impulses and conflicts onto them.

Thus, at the beginning the object relations would be based on the projection of impulses and the introjection of external stimuli , in order to develop a more or less differentiated self in the different stages or positions.

The positions of the development

In Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory it is established that throughout development the human being goes through a series of stages in which he or she develops the self and relationships with the environment. Specifically, it establishes the presence of two specific positions in childhood in which the object relations and the anxieties derived from them evolve towards an integration of the self, the schizo-paranoid position and the depressive position.

The author proposes a moment of appearance of each one, but does not deny the possibility that adult subjects suffer some kind of regression and/or fixation in any of them. Thus, the schizo-paranoid position would be more linked to the emergence of psychotic disorders and the depressive one to neurotics.

1. Paranoid-schizophrenic position

This position appears to be the first type of object relationship, initiated with birth and tending to last until six months of age. At this early stage of development, the child is not yet able to identify what is self and what is not, having a concrete thought and not being able to distinguish holistic elements.

Since the child is not capable of distinguishing the “I” from the “I”, he cannot integrate the joint existence of gratifying and aversive aspects in the same object, with which he reacts by identifying the objects in a partial way, making him consider the existence of a good one that takes care of him and a bad one that hurts or frustrates him (this defence mechanism is called splitting), projecting his impulses and attempts onto them. The most important example, and the one that will mark the infant the most, is that of the mother’s breast, which sometimes breastfeeds her and sometimes frustrates her.

Due to the existence of a bad, persecutory object the infant will develop anxiety and distress at the idea that it may attack him. In this way, a paranoid fear develops which in turn will awaken aggressive and sadistic instincts towards the object. Likewise, confusion and anguish are frequent when faced with the lack of knowledge of what the object is going to be.

If the child manages to introduce the good aspect of objects (essentially the mother’s good breast) through the experience of more or better positive than negative experiences, he will manage to form a healthy self that will allow him to move on to the next position.

2. Depressive position

As the child matures, he begins to have a greater development of the self and a better capacity to discern what is the self from what is not, being now able to observe that objects are independent of themselves. This stage arises around six months after birth.

The good aspect of the objects is incorporated and introjected, specifically from the mother’s breast , and the child is able to integrate the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of the objects. Little by little it has become possible to see the objects as a single element that can sometimes be good and sometimes bad.

Aggressive impulses decrease , and when observing that the object is an independent entity, fear and anxiety are born before the possibility of its loss. Thus, in this position or stage depressive anxieties appear, which are added to those of the previous position. Feelings of guilt and gratitude towards the object are born, and defence mechanisms such as repression of instincts and displacement begin to be applied.

The Oedipus complex

One of the most controversial concepts in psychoanalytic theory is the Oedipus complex, which according to Freud appears throughout the phallic stage at about three years of age. In Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory this complex is quite anterior, appearing together with the integration of the partial objects in a total object during the depressive position.

In other words, Klein considers that an Oedipus complex exists from the moment the child is able to discern that his parents are individuals who are not his own, noting that there is a bond between them of which he is not a part. The child projects his desires onto this bond , generating envy and provoking ambivalent feelings about it.

Later on, the Oedipus complex proposed by Freud will appear, at the moment when ambivalence is reduced and the choice between desire for one parent and rivalry and identification with the other is made.

Symbolic play and unconscious fantasy

The ability to express oneself verbally and exteriorize thoughts, emotions, desires and experiences through the word develops throughout life. This ability requires a certain level of maturation and learning, as well as a certain capacity for introspection.

Thus, for a child who has not completed his development, it is extremely complex to be able to express his impulses, desires and anxieties. This is one of the main reasons why the method of free association proper to Freudian psychoanalysis could not originally be applied to children.

However, the pulsional elements, the desires and fears that are part of each one, are present from birth. For Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory, although in childhood these elements may not be conscious, they may be symbolized in the generation of fantasies. In this way, unconscious fantasies act as a method of expressing basic instincts and anxieties , projecting these into play and largely directing the child’s attitude and behaviour.

In this aspect, one of the most valued contributions of Melanie Klein’s psychoanalytic theory is the introduction of symbolic play as a method of evaluation and work with minors. For Klein, play is a method of communication in which the child externalizes his or her primary concerns and desires in an indirect way. In this way, by analysing the symbolism enclosed in the process of play it is possible to observe the unconscious fantasies that govern the child’s behaviour in a way analogous to that used in the methods of free association applied to adults.

When using symbolic play it is very important to set up or adjust the situation, that is to say, to take into account the need for the sessions, the type of furniture and toys to be appropriate for the child so that it does not come imposed on him/her as he/she should play. The child should choose those toys that he wants to use by himself, being able through them to freely express his fears, anxieties and desires.

Bibliographic references:

  • Almond tree, M.T. (2012). Psychotherapies. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 06.
  • Corral, R. (2003). History of Psychology: notes for study. Editorial Félix Varela. Havana.
  • Klein, M. (1971). Principles of child analysis. Buenos Aires: Paidós.
  • Klein, M. (1988). Envy and gratitude and other works. Complete works. Volume 3. Barcelona: Paidós.