The object relations theorist Melanie Klein suggests that important love relationships are mixed with emotions such as envy, fear, and guilt. People react to these emotions by
A) avoiding close relationships.
B) resorting to idealizations of relationships.
C) regressing to early stages of psychosexual development.
D) adopting a new object.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Klein believed that the complex emotions involved in important love relationships, including envy, fear, and guilt, lead individuals to engage in defense mechanisms such as idealization. This means that people might idealize their relationships or the objects of their affection as a way to manage the negative emotions that are intertwined with their feelings of love.

The Object Relations Theorist Melanie Klein Suggests That Important Love