ambivalence or conflict that arises when a goal has both desirable and undesirable aspects or consequences, leading the individual to feel confused or conflicted regarding whether to complete the goal. For example, when a highly desired but lower paid job opportunity becomes available, the person would like to approach the job, but also avoid the drop in salary.. The closer an individual gets to the decision or goal, the greater the anxiety becomes. See also approach-approach conflict.
APPROACH-AVOIDANCE CONFLICT: “A person feels anxious in an approach-avoidance conflict because they do not know whether to weigh the positive aspects of a situation more heavily than the adverse aspects of the situation when making a decision.”