Which phase of object relations theory corresponds to roughly 1–5 months and is characterized by awareness of the mother but no sense of individuality?

• A. Normal Symbiotic Phase
• B. Separation/Individuation Phase
• C. Practicing Stage
• D. Rapprochement Stage

Answer: (A)

In object relations theory, the period from birth to about 1–5 months is the Normal Symbiotic Phase. The infant experiences the mother as part of the self, with awareness that the mother exists but without any sense of individuality or separateness. There isn’t a clear boundary between self and other yet—the infant’s needs are met through a fused relationship with the caregiver, and the world is not yet experienced as containing distinct objects outside this relationship. This fusion sets the stage for later phases in which the child begins to differentiate self from caregiver and develop a sense of individuality.