Comfort object

A transitional object is according to the psychoanalytic object relations theory of Donald Winnicott, a self-selected from infant object that can occupy the ( intermediate ) space between infant and mother. It is usually a material object ( stuffed animal, security blanket or the like. ) That the child allowed by Winnicott to make the transition from the first early childhood relationship with their mother to more mature relationships. Often this phenomenon at the age of 4-12 months occurs.

A transitional object can also be a specific word by Daniel Stern, however, since it is neither the self nor the significant other really belongs, but a middle position between the two takes. Especially the sounds and noises produced by the child himself can fulfill this function.

Relevant to the child

The transitional object is part of the outer world " non-self - possession " as the first of the infant and represents the early mother -child relationship. It constitutes a connection between the inner and the outer world of the child and is filled with subjective content. This means it is created according to the needs of the inner fore-structure of the infant and represents his social expectations. If a child has, for example, a cuddly toy as a transitional object, so it gives it the properties of the mother who just needs as if the stuffed animal was alive. Apart from the content, which are thus ascribed to the cuddly toy, but there is also a real object and is therefore simultaneously an inner as the outer object. It is created as a temporary replacement for the absent mother to represent them: In states of being alone, the infant moves with the help of the transition object on the "virtual other" back.

Developmental psychology perspective

From about the age of 6 months (according to Winnicott later than the 12th month beginning from the earliest on the fourth ), the transitional object is meaningful, where it gradually withdrawn after the casts later and so it loses over time in importance.

From the study of the transitional object, the games and the subsequent creative and creative activities during the process of maturation on the way to self- developed.