Activity . Frustration and Conflict So far we have taken a look at the various theoretical perspectives on motivation. They explain the process of motivation and what leads to motivated action and what are the reasons for different motives. Now we will try to understand what happens when motivated action is blocked or it fails due to certain reasons.
We will also try to understand what happens when one is faced with more than one motive or need at the same time. These two concerns can be explained in the form of two important concepts related to motivation, namely frustration and conflict . Frustration We come across many occasions when things go in an unexpected direction and we fail to Fig. .
: Need-Conflict-Frustration Route Drive Arousal Need Target Behaviour Aggression Failure Alternative Pathways A1 Frustration Conflict A2 A3 A4 A5 desirable alternatives. Avoidance-avoidance conflict comes from choosing between two negatives, or mutually undesirable alternatives. In real life, these double avoidance conflicts involve dilemmas such as choosing between the dentist and tooth decay, roadside food and starvation, etc. Approach- avoidance conflict comes from being attracted to and repelled by the same goal or activity.
These types of conflicts are also difficult to resolve, as they are more troublesome than avoidance conflicts. A central characteristic of approach-avoidance conflict is ambivalence — a mix of positive and negative conflicts. Some examples of approach-avoidance conflicts are: a person wanting to buy a new motorbike but not wanting to make monthly payments, wanting to eat when one is overweight, and planning to marry someone her/his parents strongly disapprove of. Many of life’s important decisions have approach-avoidance dimensions.
A major source of frustration lies in motivational conflict. In life, we are often influenced by a number of competing forces that propel us in different directions. Such situations demonstrate the condition of conflict. Hence, the simultaneous existence of multiple wishes and needs characterise conflict.
In all the cases of conflicts, the selection of one option against the other depends on the relative strength/importance of one over the other, and environmental factors. Conflicting situations should be resolved after due consideration of the pros and cons of each of the choices. A point to note here is that conflicts cause frustration, which in turn, can lead to aggression. For instance, a young man who wants to be a musician but is pursuing a course in management due to parental pressure and is not able to perform as per the expectations of his parents may turn aggressive upon being questioned on his poor performance in the course.
Try to answer the following questions and work on the weaker areas: . List the plans/activities you intend to undertake during this week. . Do you have any goals set for the month ahead?
If yes, what are they? Try to list them. . Do you have a daily routine chart?
If not, then try to prepare one by distributing your time judiciously for studies, rest, recreation, and other activities, if any. . Are you able to follow your routine chart successfully? (If you already have one).
. If you are not able to follow a routine successfully think about the ways in which you could overcome your irregular habits and try to follow them.