Basic and Central Relational Wishes

The theory of motivation proposed in this paper unites elements of psychoanalytic object relations theory, ego psychology and the theory of the drives. It is compatible with the theory of motivation proposed by Bischof. The wish for familiarity and the wish to relate to hitherto unknown objects, are both called basic relational wishes. The wishes for fusion, for relating to a person exactly like oneself, for being unconditionally accepted, the wish to be nurtured and to nurture some other person, the wish for being controlled or to control somebody else and for being admired because of gender characteristics, are called central relational wishes. These wishes correspond to the various stages of psychosexual development. They are characterised by the properties of the objects one wishes to relate to and by specific modes of relating. The influence of a person's being restricted to dyadic or multi-personal modes of relating to the intensity of central wishes is taken into account, as well as the influence of central relational wishes on the value system of a person.