Predictive Object Relations Theory (PORT): A Neuro-Psychodynamic Theory of the Psyche

This paper introduces Predictive Object Relations Theory (PORT), a neuro-psychodynamic framework that reconceptualizes the psyche as a hierarchical, generative inference system shaped by experience and internalized representations of reality. PORT attempt to bridge predictive coding principles with foundational psychoanalytic constructs, framing the development and structure of the psyche as a process of representational learning aimed at minimizing uncertainty. Within this model, anxiety emerges as the affective signal of model instability, while splitting reflects the inability of the neural representational system to integrate conflicting inputs into a single coherent model, resulting in a fragmented representation of reality. Early relationships are proposed to calibrate representational hierarchies, influencing the stability, precision, and generalizability of neural representations. PORT outlines how variations in model stability, proliferation, and content give rise to distinct developmental trajectories and psychopathological dynamics. By outlining the neural mechanisms underlying psychodynamic processes, PORT offers a unified account of development, personality dynamics, and psychopathology. Consequently, it may serve as a basis for empirical investigation and new analytical and psychotherapeutic approaches, positioning the psyche as a dynamic system rooted in unconscious expectations which are continuously calibrated through validating experiences.