Concept
Transitional object
In Winnicott's account, the first possession an infant treats as 'not-me', such as the corner of a blanket, a soft toy or a sound, which is neither purely inner fantasy nor purely external reality. Because it stands in the intermediate area between the two, it helps the infant move from the illusion of omnipotent union with the mother towards accepting separateness, and it foreshadows the later life of play, art and culture.
- Introduced by
- Donald Winnicott
- Key works
- 2
- Related
- Potential space
introduced by
- Donald Winnicott 1951 Read to the British Psycho-Analytical Society in 1951 and published in 1953; a revised version opens Playing and Reality (1971).
gave rise to
- Potential space Potential space generalises the intermediate area first described through transitional objects into the space of play, creativity and cultural life.