In the object-relations school of thought, "objects" refer to both real and mental representations of other people. It is a term used to describe the way individuals internalize relationships and use these internalizations to relate to others in the external world. It includes both physical objects (such as a teddy bear) and mental representations (such as memories or fantasies of others). The other options (B, C, and D) do not accurately define the concept of "objects" in this school of thought.