Which term is used for an object valued for what it can provide to the self, rather than its own intrinsic qualities?

Which term is used for an object valued for what it can provide to the self, rather than its own intrinsic qualities?

• A. Self object
• B. Object constancy
• C. Autistic personality
• D. Borderline personality

Answer: (A)

In self-psychology, an object valued for what it provides to the self is called a self object. These objects aren’t valued for their own intrinsic qualities; their importance lies in how they regulate and support the self—helping with self-cohesion, self-esteem, and emotional balance. Functions like mirroring (reflecting the self’s feelings back to it), idealization (seeing the other as powerful or perfect to bolster self-worth), and twinship (creating a sense of belonging) illustrate how a self object serves the self’s needs. When someone relies on another person or thing mainly for these regulatory effects, it’s serving as a self object. The other terms refer to different ideas: object constancy is about retaining a mental image of a person when they’re not present, while autistic personality and borderline personality describe broader patterns or disorders rather than the specific function of objects for the self.

In self-psychology, an object valued for what it provides to the self is called a self object. These objects aren’t valued for their own intrinsic qualities; their importance lies in how they regulate and support the self—helping with self-cohesion, self-esteem, and emotional balance. Functions like mirroring (reflecting the self’s feelings back to it), idealization (seeing the other as powerful or perfect to bolster self-worth), and twinship (creating a sense of belonging) illustrate how a self object serves the self’s needs. When someone relies on another person or thing mainly for these regulatory effects, it’s serving as a self object. The other terms refer to different ideas: object constancy is about retaining a mental image of a person when they’re not present, while autistic personality and borderline personality describe broader patterns or disorders rather than the specific function of objects for the self.