The Psychological Birth Of The Human Infant Symbiosis And Individuation
By:
Margaret S. Mahler Fred Pine Anni Bergman
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Description:
The pioneering contribution to infant psychology that gave us separation and individuation documents with standard-setting care the intrapsychic process of a child's emergence from symbiotic fusion with the mother toward affirmation of his own psychological birth. Available for the first time in paperback to a new generation of students and clinicians on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its original publication.
Publisher: Basic Books
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Good Foundation - Despite being packed with valuable information, this book is a fairly easy read. By observing children epigenetically through their development, Mahler and her colleagues illustrate the Separation-Individuation theory of child development. Separation is characterized as the child's emanation from a symbiotic fusion with the mother. Individuation constitutes those consummations leading to the child's cognizance of his distinctive attributes.
The four developmental sub-phases are differentiation, practicing, rapprochement, and the beginnings of emotional object constancy. Differentiation is characterized by the child's perception of his mother as an extension of himself. The second subphase constitutes "body differentiation" from the mother; the formation of a distinct bond with her; and the augmentation of the "autonomous ego apparatuses," contiguous with the mother. During the rapprochement subphase heightened awareness of physical distinctness accompanied by cognitive growth frequently results in increased separation anxiety. In the fourth subphase incisive individuality and some object constancy is accomplished.
The five case studies presented provide the reader with an understanding of the interplay between the physical, mental and emotional progression of the child, and the role mothering plays in the four subphases. I highly recommend this book to those interested in learning more about psychoanalysis and the psychological development of the child.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
If you can understand this book, you will be able to understand adult psychopathology as the outcome of childhood deficits - This is a very important book to the professional who works with people of all ages. It focuses on what the child needs in the way of early attachment for the infant-toddler to feel secure and emotionally alive via the living relationship with the caretaker. If/when the attachment is not good enough to match the infants specific needs, then we can see the possible problems that can flow form this early deficit in attachment and follows into other forms of emotional issues. I would change the title of this book to include the importance of attachment as the necessary ingrediant facilitating the process of Individuation of the infant. This attachment is related to the bi-directional emotional cues between mother and infant (and father too) and the caretaker's responses.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
For the psychologist and interested layperson - This book provides a fascinating look of the psychological development of the self in the first year of life. It uses a lot of psychoanalytic terms that I was not familiar with, but you can get the main idea. It's a great read for anyone who works with young children, teens, or adults, and deals with attachment issues.
Customer Review: 4 out of 5
technical but good - the first few chapters (120 pages)very technical and difficult for layman to read. However,if you take your time you will learn a lot. The case histories,however are easy to read and excellent-they teach you almost everything you need to know about infant and toddler psychology.
Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Excellent Research Book - This includes the original study of Margaret S. Mahler for which she is most famous. Absolutely necessary for researching her Separation Individuation Theory.
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