What Is Projective Identification?

Projective identification is one of the important concepts of psychoanalysis and was first proposed by Klein. In the theory of object relations in psychoanalysis, projective identification is a pattern that induces others to react in a limited way. It originates from a person's internal relationship model (that is, the interaction model between the parties in their early years and important caregivers, and the internalization of this model becomes part of the self), and it is placed in the realm of interpersonal relationships.

Projective identification is one of the important concepts of psychoanalysis and was first proposed by Klein. In the theory of object relations in psychoanalysis, projective identification is a pattern that induces others to react in a limited way. It originates from a person's internal relationship model (that is, the interaction model between the parties in their early years and important caregivers, and the internalization of this model becomes part of the self), and it is placed in the realm of interpersonal relationships.

Chinese name

Projective identification

Applied discipline

psychology

Introduction to Projective Identity

Projective identification was first used by Klein to describe the interaction between a baby and a mother, and it is also a primitive defense mechanism. Someone likened the effect of Klein's discovery of "projective identification" on psychoanalysis to the effect of Newton's discovery of the law of gravity on physics, or the impact of Darwin's discovery of evolution on biology. Projective identification is an extremely complex concept that is difficult to understand. Later object theorists further elaborated the meaning and clinical significance of projective identification based on Klein's concept of projective identification.

Projective identification is a way of inducing others to act in a defined way or respond to interpersonal behavior patterns. This is different from projection. Projection is essentially a mental activity and does not require any explicit response. For example, in a hostile projection, the person making the projection considers the other person to be angry or has a bad temper, regardless of how others may actually feel and behave. In addition, projection does not require face-to-face interaction to occur, and projection identity actually involves manipulation of the actions and emotions of others.

Projective identification originates from the inner world and places it in the field of interpersonal relationships. The person who is the target of the projection may never know this, but the person who is the target of the projected identification of others is likely to know. In the projected identification, the receiver is forced to respond to the projected fantasy of the projector, Without realizing this, the receiver will unknowingly become a storage room for the feelings and inner appearance of the person performing the projection. The result is a relationship in which "the receiver is forced to think and feel in a way that is consistent with the feelings released by the projector, and consistent with the self and object representations in the projected fantasy. And behavior. "

Therefore, in a hostile projective identity, a husband who is unaware of his own internal hostile urges may continue to irritate his wife and stimulate her to make him angry. He may stay out late and mess up the room. , And not keeping promises. When it became unbearable, the wife would slam him, the husband was surprised and very angry. Later, the two reconciled as before, and things calmed down until the next time. The projective identity of the husband serves as a way to both release projective fantasy and manipulate his wife to reflect in a limited way.

A key motivation for projective identification is induction as the basis for projective identification. Individuals using projective identification use imperceptible but powerful manipulations to induce people with whom they are involved to behave in a defined manner. It's like a person forcibly but subconsciously sends another person to play a role that is being staged on his internal stage (a role involving early object relations). The manipulated person is induced to engage in an identity, that is, the level at which the projector itself denies, which is the so-called "projective identity".

The process of projective identification

First, the individual places one part (bad, or ideal part) on another person in the form of projected fantasy, and tries to control that person from the inside;

The party then tries to get the recipient (the subject of projective fantasy) to act in a manner consistent with his fantasy;

After that, the receiver responds to the "effort" induced behavior of the projector. At this time, the receiver either conforms to the behavior imagined by the party and falls into the trap of the party; Yu Lizhang, at this time the projection identity failed.

Main types of projective identification

In clinical practice, dependent projective identification, power projective identification, catering projective identification, and erotic projective identification are common.

Dependent

People who use this projected identity usually ask for people when making decisions or when they need to act independently. But in fact such people are able to solve problems independently.

For example, the relationship between a 19-year-old girl and her aunt. The girl divorced her parents in childhood and spent time with her mother. But she had many opportunities to get along with her aunt, who gave the girl a lot of care in life and emotions.

The girl went to college, but still kept her aunt in deciding everything, and she also turned to her aunt in many things. I even asked my aunt to drive me when I was in college (out of the country), and I asked her to pick it up during the holidays.

After a long time, my aunt felt uncomfortable and had an unbalanced grievance in her heart. "You are so old, why do you still rely on me, and you still have a mother?" Finally, my aunt was able to directly refuse some requests from my niece.

But after the rejection, the girl's series of reactions were: grievances, weeping and apologizing to your aunt (you have always been the best to me, so ruthless now); frustration and suspicion (expression to the consultant: the original aunt liked me so Why is she like this, is it bad for me?); Helpless and helpless (Expression to the consultant: I feel very lonely and helpless, although I have a mother, she is incompetent and ca nt help me, my aunt is very capable also Love me very much, but it seems that she doesn't love me or help me anymore. I obviously feel that I'm under the fence! I'm so pitiful and helpless). The girl's aunt's reaction was: angry and guilty.

The girl said, "In fact, I'm not incapable of doing those things, but that my aunt's attitude towards me is clearly annoying to me." But the girl didn't know why she depended on her aunt to do what she could do? Why did her aunt's attitude hurt her so much? Of course, there are many topics to analyze. Or return to the topic of casting sexual approval.

It is not difficult to identify dependencies and project identity. All parties express to you in various forms, "If you don't help me, I will go nowhere" "If you don't care about me, I can't live", even threatening with hysteria and suicide His behaviors are dependent projections of identity, forcing others to care or help him. But often those "soft-hearted" recipients have to comply, and they are caught in the parties 'unconditional request and help, and become the subject of the parties' emotional control.

Any therapist who feels the pressure, control, and sense of extraction from the other party can recognize the other party's use of dependent projected identification through these negative feelings. Looking at it this way, it is the dependence complex and being dependent that need to create projective identification.

Power

People who use this projected identity usually induce the weakness and incompetence of others, thereby realizing their desire for control and power.

For example, some people always behave aggressively in the working environment, but they are actually an unconscious stubborn compulsion; especially when they communicate with leaders and colleagues, they always show that he is "half-knowing in the sky and omniscient in the ground". It is actually an unconscious need for vanity.

In a consulting relationship, he will behave unconsciously-he knows everything, even tells a lot of advanced philosophy, or asks tricky questions, or always denies your opinion ... makes you feel "his Strong "You are worse than him" helplessness and stress.

Looking at it this way, one's arrogance, or inferiority (afraid of being looked down upon), is driving one's projective identification.

Catering

People who use this projective identification often try to induce guilt and gratitude in others, so as to achieve their own success and desire to save.

For example, a lady recounts that she is particularly good to people in her life, always thinking about others, always helping others, but never getting the understanding of others, or even getting help from others at critical times. He was sad and angry.

In the consultation, some visitors always seem to be humble and obedient, and from time to time they praise you for your dependence, voice, and opinions. The behavior of these people gives you the feeling that this person is really good being favored and recognized. For a long time, you will have an intangible sense of pressure that can't be tasted, which is actually uncomfortable.

Catering (or flattering) people do not build good enough self-identity. Because of the lack of self-identity, they crave for the approval of others to make themselves feel valuable. But it is achieved by the projective identification of "the meaning that oneself lacks, which can only be found in others".

Therefore, in the interpersonal relationship, neurosis patients always project to the other person according to the fantasy "ideal self". If the other person agrees with the projected "ideal self", they will be complacent and even grateful. If we study its psychological roots, the anxiety of catering to the identity of projection is separation anxiety, or the motive for pleasing is to accept the complex. Those over-identifications, false identifications, and exaggerated identifications are defenses of people's suppression of dissatisfaction and fear of rejection. They can also be said to be the main means of people's desire for acceptance.

Looking at it this way, it is the desire of people to be accepted and recognized that they are engaged in projective identification.

Erotic

For those who use this projected identity, sex is the subject of life. The parties establish relationships through sexual means, and use sexual relations to induce others to respond to sexual desire, thereby satisfying sexual desire and controlling desire.

This projective identification mode is relatively easy to identify. And it is easy to analyze that it is the sexual hunger, sexual impulse, dependence complex, etc. in the person's heart that is creating projective identification.

Projective Identity Therapy

In the initial stage, the therapeutic relationship is greater than the therapeutic technique, "empathic participation.

Second, the task of the clarification phase: clarify and reveal the projected identity. The therapist needs to transform the transmission of hidden information (ie, non-verbal, potential, and implicit) related to projected identification into a publicly explicit expression.

For example, in the projected identity of reliance, a girl repeatedly sends you "You are the only person I can trust now" "If I don't meet you, I don't know if I can carry on", and after the consultation is over, Excuses do not want to leave, or want to invite you to dinner, etc. The therapist first accommodates the "good object dependent object" that is projected over, and slowly the therapist will feel the entanglement (reverse transference) of being dependent.

At this time, the therapist needs to tell the girl clearly, "I feel the pressure of being dependent on you" or "There have been people who care for you unconditionally in your life, and I feel you want to treat me as such a person" Wait for such a clear and open expression. The sign of the end of this stage, the relationship between the consultant and the visitor has been clarified, and the visitor will have a sense of relief.

Third, the analysis phase: confrontation and interpretation. This stage is mainly completed: analysis of projective fantasy and analysis of split cognitive model; analysis of identity; analysis of conflict mode.

At the same time, the therapist needs to respond to the projected "catering" or "sexual empathy" by refusing to express his position clearly to the visitor. Note that the therapist rejects the relationship, not the person himself, clarifying the rejection of "just talking about the matter." Therapists use qualitative pairs. If it is verbal, it is better to openly ask questions to explain the "conflict mode." If it is emotional, it is best to implicitly refuse to reach to reveal "projected fantasy." "Return" requirements, the therapist can use silence, or a look, gestures, etc. to express rejection.

At this stage, there is a reincarnation of projective identification, that is, after clarifying and processing projective identification, a new type of projective identification appears, making the therapeutic relationship go back to a new stage of projective identification. Therefore, it is necessary to reanalyze and analyze projective identification. Explanation. At this stage, the visitor begins to realize that the previous relationship (projective or bad) with the therapist is no longer there, and both parties feel comfortable.

Finally, it can be considered as the integration phase. Strictly speaking, the tasks of this phase and the analysis phase overlap, because the therapist will also give the visitor a lot of feedback information, mainly the feelings during the interaction with the other party (still anti-empathy), the purpose is to remind the visitor, In real life, how others feel about interacting with him or her, so that the visitor knows not only himself but also others.

Similarly, the therapist must provide detailed and precise explanations of the "divisional cognitive model" and "false identity", explaining that the issues emphasized are more related to the threat of being abandoned and rejected, and "good-bad" Related to internalization.

All explanations should revolve around a realistic goal: the visitor should come out of the original projective morbid relationship, and start to understand that he can get loved and accepted (originally dependent) without relying on others at all. , Realize that you do nt have to meet the needs of others, you can also be respected and recognized.

In the final analysis, it is the early self-trauma of being abandoned, denied, deceived, and attacked that creates a continuous stream of projective identification.

Therefore, no matter what the theoretical background, the projected identification treatment has the same ultimate goal: to reverse negative identification and integrate the split cognitive structure. In emotional terms, it is how to turn internalized hurt hate into love.