The conflict between two positive goals is called:?

Appeared in: SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

An Approach-Approach conflict is defined as a situation where an individual is faced with choosing between two equally attractive or positive goals.
The term 'approach' signifies that the individual is drawn towards the goal.
Since both goals are positive (+), the conflict is between approaching one versus approaching the other.
This type of conflict is typically the easiest to resolve and causes the least amount of stress compared to other conflict types.

Option B: Multiple Approach-Avoidance conflict involves choosing between two or more alternatives, where each alternative has both positive (approach) and negative (avoidance) aspects. The question specifies a conflict between two purely positive goals.
Option C: Avoidance-Avoidance conflict involves being forced to choose between two undesirable or negative outcomes. The question describes a conflict between positive goals.
Option D: Approach-Avoidance conflict occurs when a single goal has both attractive (approach) and unattractive (avoidance) qualities. The question involves two separate goals, not one goal with mixed qualities.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Types of Psychological Conflict as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding conflict types helps nurses recognize sources of stress and anxiety in patients who are making difficult healthcare decisions.
A patient might face an approach-approach conflict when choosing between two effective but different treatment plans. Recognizing this can help the nurse provide balanced information to ease the decision-making process.
Nurses can use this knowledge to offer targeted support. For a patient in an avoidance-avoidance conflict (e.g., choosing between two unpleasant diagnostic tests), the nurse's role is to provide empathy and clear rationale for why a choice must be made.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question stem: 'conflict' and 'two positive goals'.
The term 'positive goals' is the main clue. In psychological terms, 'positive' corresponds to 'approach' (something you want to move toward).
The question describes a choice between two such goals.
Evaluate the options based on this: 'Approach-Approach' literally means choosing between two things you want to approach.
Compare this with the other options: 'Avoidance' refers to negative goals, and 'Approach-Avoidance' refers to a single goal with both positive and negative aspects. This allows you to eliminate the incorrect distractors.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 1 pp. 317-319, 316-318

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