good object

in the object relations theory of Melanie Klein, an introjected part-object that is perceived as benevolent and satisfying (see introjection). It is an early object representation that derives from the object splitting into parts containing positive and negative qualities. The good object forms the core of the infant’s immature ego. Compare bad object.

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Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

Emmert’s law

the principle that the perceived size of an afterimage is proportional to the distance of the surface on which it is projected: The larger the afterimage, the farther away it is. See size constancy. [Emil Emmert (1844–1913), German physiologist]