Deck 7: Human Relations Object Relations Theory, Relational-Cultural Theory

Question 1

The theorist most closely identified with the separation-individuation process is

A) Klein.
B) Kohut.
C) Kernberg.
D) Mahler.

Answer 1

 D

Question 2

Object relations theorists emphasize the ________ experience of relationships with others,whereas the relational-cultural theorists emphasize the ________ experience of relationships.

A) intrapsychic; interpsychic
B) role of nature in the; role of nurture in the
C) external; internal
D) abnormal; normal

Answer 2

 A

Question 3

Compared to other human relations or object relations theorists,___________ has focused particular attention on borderline patients.

A) Mahler
B) Kernberg
C) Kohut
D) Chodorow

Answer 3

 B

Question 4

According to Kohut,narcissistic individuals are looking for a(n)

A) idealized, empathic parent substitute.
B) mirror image of themselves.
C) person who shares their overinflated opinion of themselves.
D) way to resolve their original Oedipal feelings.

Question 5

Unlike classical psychoanalysis,Kernberg's expressive,psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy does not

A) allow for complete transference to develop.
B) employ dream analysis.
C) include the interpretation of everyday behavior.
D) involve interpretation by the therapist.

Question 6

Of the following theorists,who is LEAST likely to be considered an object relations theorist?

A) Heinz Kohut
B) Margaret Mahler
C) Nancy Chodorow
D) B. F. Skinner

Question 7

The four stages of the separation-individuation process include

A) inception, rapprochement, inquiry, and termination.
B) differentiation, practice, reconnaissance, and consolidation.
C) inception, reconnaissance, inquiry, and termination.
D) differentiation, practicing, rapprochement, and consolidation.

Question 8

Melanie Klein was among the first psychoanalysts to shift the emphasis from innate biological instincts to

A) conditioned responses.
B) innate personality traits.
C) interpersonal relationships.
D) learned behaviors.

Question 9

According to Kernberg,the intense changes in interpersonal relationships that are apparent in someone with borderline personality disorder can best be explained by the notion of

A) mirroring.
B) disconnectedness.
C) splitting
D) narcissism.

Question 10

Which of the following best exemplifies the borderline characteristic of splitting?

A) Tanya, who has remained depressed for several years
B) Louisa, who cannot stay in serious relationships for long without feeling resentful
C) Ahn, whose personality swings between being very extraverted and being very introverted
D) Perry, whose view of the people in his life constantly shifts from idealized to hateful

Question 11

Steven is a two-and-a-half-year-old child who is beginning to unify the good and the bad aspects of his mother with the image of her as a separate entity in the external world.He is also beginning to develop a stable sense of "me." Mahler would describe Steven as in the _____ phase of the separation-individuation process.

A) consolidation
B) rapprochement
C) normal symbiosis
D) practicing

Question 12

The object in object relations theory refers to

A) any inanimate object.
B) any target that satisfies a drive.
C) anything or anyone with whom a person forms a relationship.
D) the therapeutic subject.

Question 13

Shanice is a newborn baby who is less than a week old.According to Mahler,she is most likely in the ______ phase of development.

A) normal symbiosis
B) practicing
C) consolidation
D) differentiation

Question 14

Kohut believes that when children develop normally,the Oedipus complex

A) will probably produce conflict and anxiety.
B) may be a positive experience.
C) may fail to materialize.
D) will most likely be associated with negative emotions.

Question 15

According to Kohut,which pathological characteristic is most likely to develop when an individual fails to achieve an independent sense of self ?

A) Narcissism
B) Mania
C) Psychosis
D) Social anxiety

Question 16

According to Mahler,the process of separation-individuation optimally begins at

A) birth.
B) four months.
C) two years.
D) puberty.

Question 17

According to Melanie Klein,children engage in splitting,which essentially means

A) abruptly leaving the company of parents.
B) dividing their personal identity into adult and child components.
C) separating objects and feelings into good and bad aspects.
D) categorizing peers into positive and negative social categories.

Question 18

When Doug was an infant,his parents did not respond positively to his unique,loveable characteristics.As an adult,he finds himself searching in vain for such a positive response from those around him.Kohut would explain Doug's situation by stating that

A) Doug has become narcissistic.
B) Doug's parents mirrored him too much.
C) Doug's problem is caused by inborn physiological brain abnormalities.
D) Doug's parents used an authoritative parenting style.

Question 19

During which stage of separation-individuation does an infant begin to understand that she is a separate being from her mother?

A) Consolidation
B) Differentiation
C) Practicing
D) Rapprochement

Question 20

A group of women scholars working out of the Stone Center at Wellesley College has recently put forth a personality theory labeled _______ theory.

A) self-theory
B) relational-cultural
C) object relations
D) separation-individuation

Question 21

What was the theme of Jean Baker Miller's book,Toward a New Psychology of Women?

A) Rather than place their faith in others, women should have faith in their own individual abilities.
B) It is time for women to become the dominant gender and men the subordinate one.
C) We should expand our view of women's strength to include affiliation and relational abilities.
D) Women can train their daughters to be independently powerful, achievement-oriented, and self-sufficient.

Question 22

The book The Reproduction of Mothering was written by

A) Anna Freud.
B) Karen Horney.
C) Margaret Mahler.
D) Nancy Chodorow.

Question 23

Five-year-old Yolanda has just lost a grandfather,whom she adored.A relational-cultural therapist would likely recommend that Yolanda be

A) encouraged to share her feelings with another person.
B) entertained and distracted from what happened.
C) permitted the space to grieve privately.
D) told that there is no reason for her to be sad or afraid.

Question 24

One example of the way that the relational-cultural theorists reconceived everyday concepts is their placing sexual desire in the context of

A) achievement and performance.
B) conquest and defeat.
C) empathic communication.
D) exploitation.

Question 25

In a paradigm shift,relational-cultural theory reconceives of ill health as

A) dependency.
B) disconnection.
C) emotional immaturity.
D) hostility.

Question 26

According to the relational-cultural model,a key element of healthy,growth-fostering relationships is

A) codependency.
B) submission.
C) mutuality.
D) sameness.

Question 27

Minor disconnections are different from major ones because they

A) are more likely to be problematic.
B) can lead to growth.
C) are more difficult to resolve.
D) occur infrequently.

Question 28

Compared to classical Freudian analysts,the Stone Center group therapists are more

A) self-disclosing.
B) likely to interpret.
C) prone to remain neutral.
D) inclined to cultivate transference.

Question 29

Of the following theorists,the significance of object relations theory for feminist and social theory has been explored most extensively by

A) Chodorow.
B) Fromm.
C) Kernberg.
D) Kohut.

Question 30

Which of the following is true regarding relationships and human development?

A) Recent neurological studies strongly suggest that a child's brain development is influenced by its relationships with parents.
B) Mirror neurons, which are thought to facilitate empathy in the brain, have been hypothesized but not actually observed in any animal.
C) New information on brain neuroplasticity suggests that positive interactions alone are not effective in reworking destructive neural patterns.
D) Researchers have found that positive and negative social interactions have no effect on the release of particular chemicals within the brain.

Question 31

In a situation where someone is ill and in need,Jean Baker Miller describes women as ________ and men as ________.

A) acting independently; acting collectively
B) avoiding the situation; dealing with the situation
C) being hesitant; acting decisively
D) taking empathic action; giving advice

Question 32

Dr.Li is a practicing psychologist who utilizes relational-cultural theory most often in her work with clients.Dr.Li has most likely been influenced by the work of

A) Anna Freud.
B) behaviorists.
C) the Stone Center group.
D) Otto Kernberg.

Question 33

Which of the following people best exemplifies the basic relational paradox?

A) Alex, who cannot figure out why the last two women he dated broke up with him
B) Debbie, who was able to go from a major disconnection into an empathic, supportive new relationship
C) Jose, who finds it hard to choose between two women whom he is dating
D) Lara, who is finding it hard to move into a new relationship after escaping an abusive marriage

Question 34

In contrast to the male paradigm,the Stone Center group asserts that women's self-esteem and growth potential depend on their ability to

A) engage in relationships.
B) make it on their own.
C) take a subordinate role.
D) reproduce.

Question 35

How is the adolescent experience viewed in the relational-cultural model?

A) As a period of progressively increasing stages of self-sufficiency
B) As a time when one loses awareness of others
C) As a time of change in the parent-child relationship to allow for growth
D) As a time of separation from one's previous connections

Question 36

The relational model has redefined many of our everyday concepts.One such example would be in its defining

A) anger as an emotion that needs to be repressed.
B) courage as a solitary accomplishment.
C) self-esteem as mastery or self-efficacy.
D) shame as a deep yearning for connection.

Question 37

The Stone Center group formed to

A) promote a better understanding of the psychology of women.
B) resurrect Karen Horney's feminine psychology.
C) reaffirm the relevancy of the male paradigm to the psychology of women.
D) provide a female paradigm for Freudian theory.

Question 38

Mariana is a therapist whose approach to clients is strongly influenced by the Stone Center group.Mariana is most likely to differ from traditional therapists because she

A) distances herself from her own feelings rather than remaining open to them.
B) remains as neutral and objective as possible.
C) asserts that women have critical strengths that are generally unrecognized by our society.
D) believes that countertransference is always an impediment to a therapist's ability to connect with a patient.

Question 39

In their personality theory,the Stone Center group has replaced self with

A) connection.
B) object.
C) psyche.
D) the feminine ego.

Question 40

What does Chodorow mean when she states that "women's mothering reproduces itself cyclically"?

A) Every year, new technologies improve the ability of women to have children.
B) Every time that a woman has a baby, her maternal instincts renew themselves.
C) Women imbue both sons and daughters with a nurturing capacity.
D) Women train their daughters to be good mothers.

Question 41

Explain how narcissism develops according to Heinz Kohut.

Question 42

To a relational-cultural therapist,dependence is a

A) demonstration of fear of acting alone.
B) disability.
C) potentially empowering event.
D) sign of low self-esteem.

Question 43

Describe the major ideas of the object relations theorists.

Question 44

Summarize the essential aspects of the personality theory of the Stone Center group.

Question 45

Explain the significance of connections and why empathy is central for growth within relationships.

Question 46

Describe the paradigm shift made by the Stone Center group.

Question 47

Describe the neurobiological basis of relationships and relational-cultural theory.

Question 48

What contributions did Margaret Mahler make to psychoanalytic theory?

Question 49

Describe how psychotherapy can change and overcome the negative effects of disconnection.

Question 50

Describe how Otto Kernberg accounts for borderline personality disorders and discuss his method of treatment.

Question 51

Give several examples of the use of the male paradigm in Freud's theory and suggest how the Stone Center group would alter the perspective in each example.

Question 52

Which of the following instruments was developed by the Stone Center group?

A) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
B) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
C) Mutual Psychological Development Questionnaire
D) Thematic Apperception Test

Question 53

The "smart vagus" is

A) a book that was written by one of the members of the Stone Center group on mother-son relationships.
B) a neural pathway that mediates the stress system and may help us facilitate and maintain healthy relationships.
C) the part of the motor cortex that, when activated, enables us to mimic other people's emotions and actions.
D) the name given to the set of neurotransmitters that are appropriately discharged in the brain in response to positive social interactions.

Question 54

Lesbian relationships are viewed by the relational-cultural theorists as

A) an abnormal form of empathic communication.
B) a distortion of the natural way of doing things.
C) a way for women to express relational strength.
D) pathological.

Question 55

Describe what Nancy Chodorow means by the reproduction of mothering and explain why social and historical forces are insufficient to account for gender development.

Question 56

Identify the essential components of Melanie Klein's theory.

Question 57

Explain the thesis of Jean Baker Miller's Toward a New Psychology of Women.

Question 58

Evaluate the human relations theories in terms of their function as philosophy,science,and art.

Question 59

Explain how disconnections are the major source of psychological problems.

Question 60

Neuropsychological studies of brain activity have demonstrated that

A) the pain of social rejection is as real as physical pain.
B) social relationships are not essential for human well-being.
C) psychological healing involves shaping new neural pathways but does not involve changes in brain chemistry.
D) our brains are not "plastic" in response to environmental stimuli.

Question 61

Explain why the original group of relational-cultural theorists intentionally sought the perspective of minority and lesbian women.

Question 62

Explain how imperfect parenting at very early ages might result in adult characteristics such as narcissism (Kohut) or borderline characteristics (Kernberg).

Question 63

Explain how the Stone Center group was influenced by Chodorow's observation that boundaries between mothers and daughters differ from boundaries between mothers and sons.