客体关系理论是一种精神分析理论，于1940至1950年代由英国心理学家罗纳德·费尔贝恩和梅兰妮·克莱因等人所开拓。不同于弗洛伊德理论，客体关系理论认为人并非寻求“驱力”的满足，而是在同他人的关系中来寻求满足。

Object relations theory in psychoanalytic psychology is the process of developing a psyche in relation to others in the environment during childhood. Based on psychodynamic theory, the object relations theory suggests that the way people relate to others and situations in their adult lives is shaped by family experiences during infancy. For example, an adult who experienced neglect or abuse in infancy would expect similar behavior from others who remind them of the neglectful or abusive parent from their past. These images of people and events turn into objects in the unconscious that the "self" carries into adulthood, and they are used by the unconscious to predict people's behavior in their social relationships and interactions.