Which theorist is associated with object relations theory and the separation-individuation stages?

• A. Sigmund Freud
• B. Carl Jung
• C. Erik Erikson
• D. Margaret Mahler

Answer: (D)

Object relations theory focuses on how early caregiver relationships shape the mental images we carry and how these internalized objects influence later functioning. A key idea within this approach is separation-individuation—the infant’s gradual move toward independence while maintaining a meaningful relationship with the caregiver as a distinct object. Margaret Mahler is the theorist who developed this perspective, outlining stages through which a child progresses from strong dependence to increasing autonomy, including the evolving sense that the caregiver remains a separate, enduring object (object constancy). Freud is associated with psychosexual drives, Jung with analytic psychology and the broader process of individuation, and Erikson with psychosocial development across the lifespan; none of these tie together object relations with the explicit separation-individuation sequence as Mahler does.