In contrast to Sigmund Freud's view that people are primarily motivated by sexual and violent drives, Objective relationship contends that people are primarily motivated by the need for contact with others—the need to build connections.
According to the hypothesis, early familial experiences influence how people relate to others and situations as adults. For instance, an adult who was subjected to neglect or abuse as a child may anticipate the same conduct from those who remind them of the abusive or negligent parent from their upbringing.