The _______________ are the most critical for the inner core of personality, according to objection-relation theorists.

A) first two years of life
B) preadolescent years
C) late adolescent years
D) early adulthood years

Object relations theorists emphasize the importance of early experiences, particularly the first two years of life, in shaping the inner core of personality. These experiences inform the development of internalized object relations, or unconscious mental representations of significant others, which influence an individual's perception and behavior in later relationships.