A term introduced by psychoanalyst melanie klein (1882–1960) to refer to the unconscious process of projection of one or more parts of the self or of the internal object onto another person (such as the mother). What is projected may be an intolerable, painful, or dangerous part of the self or object (the bad object). It also may be a valued aspect of the self or object (the good object) that is projected into the other person for safekeeping. The other person is changed by the projection and is dealt with as though he or she is in fact characterized by the aspects of the self that have been projected.