Margaret Mahler

Margaret Mahler ( born May 10, 1897 in Sopron (Hungary ); † 2 October 1985 in New York; born Schönberger ) was a Hungarian- American pediatrician and psychoanalyst. She was a pioneer in the field of infant and toddler research. On the basis of empirical studies, they developed a model of development in psychoanalysis and object relations theory was especially very influential.

Biography

Mahler attended the Higher Girls' School in Sopron and the Gymnasium in Budapest, studied art history and then began to study medicine at the University of Budapest. They moved to the Faculty of Medicine in Munich and graduated in Jena from where she completed her doctorate in 1922. In Vienna, she moved with Clemens von Pirquet pediatrician further and opened a private pediatric practice. On Teaching Institute of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, whose extraordinary member was in 1933, she completed psychoanalytic training. With the " clinic Rauscherstraße " she taught in Vienna a psychoanalytically oriented children's hospital.

In 1938 she emigrated to New York. In 1940 she became a member of the New York Psychoanalytic Society and led the formation of the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Institute.

Development model

The development model of Margaret Mahler is an influential theory of psychological development in infancy and early childhood.

A central theme of Mahler's work is the process of healthy individuation, as its premise sees the solution from the early symbiotic relationship with the mother. What makes Mahler's work is different from other psychoanalytic schools, the fact that their theory was based on empiricism. You asked how to develop young children up to the age of 3 years, and how they react to short-term separation from the mother. For this they used kindergartens visible from the outside walls for children from 8 months up to 3 years. Parents and specially trained teachers observed the children and completed questionnaires about these from. In addition, parents and children were tested at the beginning, middle and end of the study. Your it developed development model includes the following sections:

Autistic phase (birth to 4-6 weeks)

The autistic phase marks the first weeks after the birth of a child. During this time, it is primarily a matter of restoring the homeostatic balance after physical incision birth, so that the body is strong libido occupied. In addition, there is a high stimulus barrier to the outside world and the senses, especially the sense of sight, are not yet fully developed ( color vision until the 2nd month ).

Symbiotic Phase ( 2 -5. / 6 months )

The symbiotic phase begins about the second month of life. In this phase, the child and his mother experienced as inseparable unit. The libidinal cathexis is now extended to the symbiotic environment. The child can not yet distinguish between affective inside and outside, self and non - self, and child and mother during this time. Another feature of the phase is the Mirror: The child incorporates the mother, first by smile. Since the child does not perceive the mother as a separate personality, emotional empathy of the mother for optimal gratification and for reasonable development of a basal sense of security and basic trust is very important. In addition, the mother has for her child a stimulus shield the environment dar. Moreover, this relationship between mother and child is a basis for all subsequent relationships.

Detachment and individuation (differentiation phase 5th - 12th month)

The separation and individuation are two separate, but ideally parallel socialization processes.

The detachment is about the differentiation of the body schema, distancing and differentiation competence. In the individuation an intrapsychic autonomy, cognitive skills and emotional object constancy to be achieved.

Differentiation of the body schema

This phase covers approximately the period from fourth to eighth month of life. During this time the motor skills of the child are already so far advanced that it can pry example of the mother. In this way it can see more, expanding its field of view and occupied the area already with libido. Of particular importance is the empathy full body contact of the mother with the child. By contacting the child learns his body as separate from the mother. It recognizes the physical, not the mental separation. Another typical feature of this development section is the " checking back ". Here the child touched the mother and the environment and compares the objects, so people with the mother.

Practice phase (11th - 18th month)

The practice phase overlaps with the differentiation of the body schema and covers approximately the period from the fourth to the sixteenth month of life. During this time the motor skills are further developed. It may be increasingly independent removed by crawling and walking by the mother, can independently handle separation, distance and proximity. The environment is increasingly filled libido.

The child is now starting strong to care for the environment, and explores this intense. The training phase is often the happiest phase of the toddler period. The child has a strong Omnipotenzgefühl pleased about the world and its growing capabilities. It developed a strong frustration tolerance to loss or pain. In addition, the ego functions develop rapidly. It is very important that the mother on the one hand is always available for refueling of emotions, because the sense of security is not yet pronounced, on the other hand the child but also encouraged to explore his environment.

The research interests of the children at this time strongly depends on the extent to which the mother gives security and trust. Leaving the mother the child at this time, there may be a mood drop.

The child's interest is also aimed increasingly inanimate world. Often, a transitional object is constituted, which is a replacement for the symbiosis with the mother. This can for example be a soft blanket or stuffed animal, which carries around the child permanently with them.

Compared with strangers prevails mostly curiosity, but it can also lead to hints of xenophobia. The father plays in this phase an important role as a comrade in games in which the child, in contrast to his other dependency and weakness, may occur big and strong.

Rapprochement phase (18th - 24th month)

The rapprochement phase consists of the rapprochement crisis and their individual solutions. You about covers the period from 14 to 26 months of age and overlaps with the practice phase.

At this time, the cognitive abilities of the child are so well developed that it psychologically perceives itself as separate from the mother nature. Through the further development of motor skills the child is increasingly located further away from the mother in a position. So it seems again to be continuously engaged with the question of where the mother is straight.

The child now occupies the mother as a person with libido and want to share with you his world and his findings. It often presents all sorts of discoveries and demands that the mother cares for it. In addition, the child develops due to the ability to move away from the mother, and because of the cognitive realization of psychic separation separation anxiety. In return, but also results in the fear of being trapped in the symbiosis with the mother.

In addition, the child recognizes during this time the intransigence of the hard matter, before it can not keep the parents. It is also, especially in the context of toilet training, increasingly confronted with the parents needs. The Omnipotenzgefühl now giving way frustration, and the child often gets into Enttäuschungswut. This in turn reinforces the separation anxiety.

The child is torn between his incipient autonomy and of continued dependence. Therefore, it is very important that the mother is always available as a home base and a lot of patience with the child, who now needs it after relatively independent practice phase, again more. On the other hand, however, it should also have an understanding of the growing need for autonomy of the child.

In relation to the mother, the child often develops a split. It experiences the mother as two people, one good and one evil. Such a split is normal in this development section, but should be overcome, so that eventually passes through a holistic, positive mother image.

Generally prevail during this phase idealized parental images. The father plays a very important role. By identifying with this, the child experiences with the parents' relationship and does not feel excluded. The Father, as distinct from the parent person, shows the child that the separation is nothing bad. In this way he can keep it in the symbiosis before Regredierung.

By the early childhood triangulation by Ernst Abelin the child experiences with the special relationship between father and mother. Another important aspect is that the children recognize their gender identity during this development section, with all the consequences such as castration anxiety, penis envy, etc.

Consolidation of individuality and emotional beginnings of object constancy (24th - 36th month)

During this development section is about the formation of an intra-psychic autonomy and emotional object constancy. The prerequisite is the successful secession in the rapprochement phase.

The object constancy is the mode of experiencing major caregivers of the child. First, the emotional object constancy with respect to the mother is crucial. It is important that the cleavage of good / evil mother was abandoned in favor of a predominantly positive holistic mother image. At this positive image, the child can then also remember when the mother is not there once and can handle the separation on the basis of memory. When individuality is about the gradual development of reality testing. The child learns to accept that other objects are not narcissistic self- objects, but independent, separate real objects. The aim is to develop a realistic self - image as well as parents and the education of constant self - and object representations.

Writings

• The psychological birth of the human being. Symbiosis and individuation, Frankfurt aM 1996, ISBN 3-596-26731-5.
• My life, my work. Edited by Paul E. Stepansky. Kösel, Munich 1989. ISBN 3-466-30298-6.