Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena—A Study of the First Not-Me Possession

Introduction
It is well known that infants as soon as they are born tend to use fist, fingers, thumbs in stimulation of the oral
erotogenic zone, in satisfaction of the instincts at that zone, and also in quiet union. It is also well known that after a few
months infants of either sex become fond of playing with dolls, and that most mothers allow their infants some special
object and expect them to become, as it were, addicted to such objects.
There is a relationship between these two sets of phenomena that are separated by a time interval, and a study of the
development from the earlier into the later can be profitable, and can make use of important clinical material that has been
somewhat neglected.