SOME FURTHER OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS ON EARLIEST ROLE OF FATHER

  • 1 January 1975
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 56  (3) , 293-302
Abstract
The longitudinal observation in the family setting of a boy during his first 2 yr was used to explore further the earliest role of the father and to refine the early triangulation model. The data were presented along 3 developmental lines. In the specific relationship with father as a different person, the concepts of specific refuelling and of object-specific libido were introduced, and during the subphase of differentiation, all of the boy''s specific objects (in particular, the father) shared some symbiotic quality with the mother. Qualitative differences of the father relationship were also noted; they confirmed earlier findings and Mahler''s views. Very early, the boy began to acknowledge the relationship with the parents as a couple. After a fleeting indication of rivalry (with mother), a ritual game of getting his parents together developed at the onset of the rapprochement subphase. This was discussed as one of many possible compromise solutions to avoid the full achievement of the anxiety-provoking early triangulation process. This process, if completed, would involve identification with the rival parent, formation of a mental image of the self and the positive cathexis of neutralized intragroup relationships which presupposes symbolization. The ubiquitous observation of identification with the rival baby may represent another such compromise solution and a precursor of early triangulation. It might also be a parallel process, leading to generational identification, as distinguished from gender identification. The isomorphism of these processes with Piaget''s outline of cognitive development was pointed out.

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