ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with object relations theory and examines briefly the theories and contributions of two of the most prominent object relations theorists: Melanie Klein and W. R. D. Fairbairn. It provides some of the key figures who refined and extended psychoanalytic and object relations theories, including British pediatrician D. W. Winnicott. The chapter discusses theorists who presented extensions or alternatives to psychoanalysis and object relations continues with the work of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, who developed the first detailed model tracing human development across the lifespan. It explains why and how Heinz Kohut transformed psychoanalysis from a Freudian drive/structure model to a relational model. The chapter also discusses why humanistic psychology was considered a third force in psychology and the contributions of key figures in humanistic psychology including: Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May. It describes factors contributing to the ultimate failure of humanistic psychology to succeed as a separate school of psychology.
