Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-201) and index.
Chapter Introduction -- chapter Part One Historical survey -- chapter 1 Freud and his associates -- chapter 2 Object-related orientations -- chapter 3 Orientations in ego psychology -- chapter 4 Self orientations -- chapter Part Two Major theoretical issues -- chapter 5 Origins of the mental object--internal or external -- chapter 6 Status of the mental object--experiential or non-experiential -- chapter 7 The mental object and motivation -- chapter 8 The mental object as a developmental capacity -- chapter 9 The position of the mental object vis-à-vis the self -- chapter 10 Responsibility--the clinical issue -- chapter Part Three A conceptual analysis -- chapter 11 Mental objects as representations (or schemas) -- chapter 12 Mental objects as phantasies -- chapter 13 Mental objects as developmental capacities -- chapter 14 Conclusion.