Object representation and containment: An empirical investigation.

Abstract

The study explored the relationship between internal representations of object relations and Bion's notion of containment in a sample of 33 adolescents and their mothers. Using performance-based measures, the study examined the association between levels of object representations as rated by the Differentiation-Relatedness (D-R) and Conceptual Level (CL) Object Relations Inventory (ORI) scales, and Rorschach measures of the capacity to contain and process emotional experiences. In addition, the study explored the intergenerational transmission of these constructs by examining the relational matrices between mothers and their adolescent children. The results indicated a positive correlation between the two ORI scales and between the D-R and Rorschach measure of imagination, empathy, and reflection, which was also negatively related to a measure of emotional dysregulation. No significant relationship was found between the adolescents and their mothers. These findings highlight the association between levels of internal representations and the capacity for containment and emotional processing.