conflict

Tension or stress experienced by an organism when satisfaction of a need, drive, motive, or wish is thwarted by the presence of other attractive or unattractive needs, drives, or motives.

- approach-approach c. a situation of indecision and vacillation when an individual is confronted with two equally attractive alternatives.

- approach-avoidance c. a situation of indecision and vacillation when the individual is confronted with a single object or event which has both attractive and unattractive qualities.

- avoidance-avoidance c. a situation of indecision and vacillation when the individual is confronted with two equally unattractive alternatives.

- c. of interest a c. between the professional or personal interests and needs of a health provider and his or her professional responsibilities toward a patient or other consumer.

- interpersonal c. relating to a c. in the relations and social exchanges between persons. Cf.:intrapersonal c..

- intrapersonal c. a c. that occurs solely in the psychological dynamics of the individual's own mind. See intrapsychic.

- role c. the dilemma an individual experiences when required to play two different parts ( e.g., spouse and aggressive business competitor) that cannot be easily harmonized.

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con·flict 'kän-.flikt n mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands

con·flict·ful 'kän-.flikt-fəl adj

con·flict·less 'kän-.flik-tləs adj

con·flic·tu·al kän-'flik-ch(ə-w)əl, kən- adj

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n.

(in psychology) the state produced when a stimulus produces two opposing reactions. The basic types of conflict situation are approach-approach, in which the individual is drawn towards two attractive - but mutually incompatible - goals; approach- avoidance, where the stimulus evokes reactions both to approach and to avoid; and avoidance-avoidance, in which the avoidance reaction to one stimulus would bring the individual closer to an equally unpleasant stimulus. Conflict has been used to explain the development of neurotic disorders, and the resolution of conflict remains an important part of psychoanalysis. See also <

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con·flict (konґflikt) in psychiatry, a psychic struggle, often unconscious, arising from the clash of incompatible or opposing impulses, wishes, drives, or external demands.