Failures in Maternal Empathy: The Effect of the Psychological Development of the Preschool Child--Two Case Studies
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Authors
Millikan, Marlene
Issue Date
1983
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study explores (1) the connections between developmental arrest in the preschool child and the quality of the mother-child relationship and (2) the possibility that therapeutic intervention aimed at enhancing the quality of the primary relationship can ameliorate the impediments to the child's healthy growth and development. Data from clinical work with two mother-child pairs illustrates some of the intrapsychic and interpersonal dimensions of the separation-individuation process. An analysis of the play themes of the two children supports the literature which suggests that psychic structure develops through the internalization of early object relationships. An analysis of transference and countertransference phenomena supports the theoretical proposition that feelings about the self and others are replicated and acted out in other important relationships. Data from the histories of the two mothers and from the clinical work with them suggests connections between their own developmental personality deficits and lack of parenting capacities. It appears that unresolved psychological issues and conflicts from a parent's childhood can interfere with the ability to empathize with a child's age-appropriate developmental needs. Therapeutic methods to help enhance the quality of the parent-child relationship are explored. Intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics in both child and parent, which were resistant to modification, point to conceptual limitations of the treatment model.