ABSTRACT
The theory of transitional objects and transitional phenomena was formulated in the early 1950s by the English paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald W. Winnicott. The theory springs from Winnicott’s fascination with the interaction between the inner and outer worlds and the nature of illusions. Winnicott’s theories are informed by his own studies of infants and slightly older children. He noted that the first special item that a child takes possession of holds unique importance to the child, which the parents accept. Winnicott imagined that thoughts or fantasies are associated with these experiences and referred to all these things as transitional phenomena. The transitional object thus helps give the child a sense of continuity, and this lets us use the transitional object to prevent experiences of disruption. The child clearly shows how important the transitional object is, and in a healthy development the object gradually loses its importance.
