Transitional Objects in Psychology

Transitional objects offer psychological comfort. Children commonly use dolls, teddy bears, and favourite toys when going somewhere new or when going to bed. They are viewed as substitutes for the parent-child bond when the parent is not present. British psychiatrist Winnicott introduced the concept in 1951 (see Goddard, 2018).

Treating Teddy

Adults use transitional objects as well. Brenner (2004) has called adult transitional objects "sacred objects." These may include mementos, rings, lockets, and other reminders that a an unseen or deceased loved one is with them.

Religious people may use icons, sacred books, and other objects for comfort or a reminder of a supernatural presence. The Psalmist appears to use the rod and staff as comfort objects in Psalm 23.

References

Brenner, M. (2004). The complete guide to transitional objects. New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster.

Goddard, C. (2018). The significance of transitional objects in an early childhood classroom for children and teachers. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 46, (1), 6-9.

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Reframing in psychology

Reframing refers to the act of changing one's perspective on an interpretation of an event.

In reframing, the facts of an event do not change, but the way people understand the event changes. As in framing pictures and photos, some frames enhance the art object and other frames lessen the appeal. We may also think about window frames as affording different perspectives on the world.

Our life experiences and the traditions within our culture guide us in interpreting life events. Sometimes our perspectives do not make sense or they leave us feeling anxious or depressed. Reframing events can sometimes offer a better way to cope with difficult situations. Reframing can promote optimism or pessimism. Thus we can speak of positive frames and negative frames.

Reframing may be illustrated by the common question, "Is the glass half empty or half full?"

In psychotherapy, psychologists sometimes help patients think of other ways that they can reframe distressing life events as an aide in alleviating anxiety or depression.

Examples of reframing

A problem becomes a challenge.
A struggle becomes an opportunity for personal growth.
A mistake becomes a learning experience.
A fall becomes an opportunity to get up and try again.
A rejected manuscript becomes an opportunity to revise and submit somewhere else.

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Lifespan vs Life expectancy in psychological science

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Lifespan is the longest period of time a species can live. The human lifespan is measured in years. At the time of this post, the human life span is 122 years based on documented records of Jeanne Calment (1875-1997).

Life expectancy is different from lifespan. Life expectancy is the average time a species lives under certain conditions. In human studies, life expectancy is reported in years. Factors influencing life expectancy include diseases, sex, environmental variables such as pollution, and access to medical care.

On average, women live longer than men so life expectancy tables are reported by sex. Life expectancy changes for groups of people based on when it is measured. For example, the life expectancy at birth is different from the life expectancy of people alive at age 60.

See Assessment