PSYCHOLOGY

1. FRUSTRATION AND CONFLICT
SUBJECT: Psychology
Presented By: Mrs Bemina JA
Department: Mental health
Institute: ESIC College Of Nursing

2. GENERAL OBJECTIVE:
At the end of the presentation the participants shall be
better equipped to understand and resolve conflicts and
frustrations in their life as well in other individuals they
come across in their workplace. This will help them in
building good interpersonal relationships in health care
settings and other professional institutes.

3. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this presentation the students shall be able to
• Define frustration and conflicts.
• Explain the characteristics of frustration.
• Enumerate the sources of frustration.
• Enumerate the reactions to frustration.
• Enumerate and explain the types of conflicts.
• Explain the process of resolution of frustration and conflicts.

4. Presented by Dr Shaini Suraj
DMCON

5. FRUSTRATION
•When activity directed towards a goal
is blocked, it results in frustration.
Definition
The word frustration has been derived from a
Latin word ‘Frustra’meaning ‘obstruct’.
Frustration refers to the blocking of behaviour directed
towards the goal.
Frustration means emotional tension resulting from the
blocking of a desire or need.
Good, Carter V
Reddy AN Venkatesh. (2009). Essentials of Psychology for Nurses (1st ed.). S.l.: JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL P.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUSTRATION
•Frustration creates unpleasant emotions.
•It creates tension or stress - varies from simple annoyance to
heated anger. This finally affects the vital balance.
•Frustration is a stage or condition in which failure dominates
the attempts.
Mangal, S. K. (2007). Essentials of educational psychology. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India.

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUSTRATION (contd)
•In this state one experiences a major obstacle in the
satisfaction of one’s basic needs or goals.
•The significance of the goal and strength of the blockade
increases the degree of frustration.
•The reason of frustration lies both in the individual as
well as his environment.
Mangal, S. K. (2007). Essentials of educational psychology. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India.

8. CAUSES OR SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION
There are two sources of frustration.
•External frustration - Conditions outside of oneself.
•Personal frustration - Caused by conditions within oneself
External Factors (Environmental Factors)
•Physical factors: Natural calamities, obstacles in
environment to reach a goal, environmental situations etc.
•Social factors: Conflicts with other people, customs,
traditions, restrictions, taboos, laws, codes, etc.
•Economic factors: Financial problems.
Reddy AN Venkatesh. (2009). Essentials of Psychology for Nurses (1st ed.). S.l.: JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL P.

9. CAUSES OR SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION (contd)
Internal Factors
•Physical abnormalities or defects.
•Conflict of motives within the individual.
•The individual’s morality and high ideals.
•High levels of aspiration.
•Lack of persistence and sincerity in efforts.
Reddy AN Venkatesh. (2009). Essentials of Psychology for Nurses (1st ed.). S.l.: JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL P.

10. REACTIONS TO FRUSTRATION
The important reactions are as follows:
1. Direct Approaches
•Increasing trials or improving efforts.
•Changing the goal to one that is more attainable.
•Adopt to compromising means.
2. Restlessness and Tension : When increased effort and
variation in attack fail and substitute goals are unavailable and
unacceptable.

11. REACTIONS TO FRUSTRATION (contd)
3. Aggression
Direct aggression: Sometimes aggression is expressed directly
against the individual or object, which is the source of
frustration.
Displaced aggression: When circumstances block direct attack
on the cause of frustration, aggression may be ‘displaced’.
Aggressive action against an innocent person or object.

12. REACTIONS TO FRUSTRATION (contd)
4. Apathy : This is shown when they are unsuccessful in their
attempts at satisfying their needs.
5. Fantasy: Escape into a dream world.
6. Stereotype: The person will stupidly make the same effort again
and again, though experience has shown its futility.
7. Regression: Return to more primitive modes of behaviour, i.e. to
modes of behaviour characterizing a younger age.

14. CONFLICT
One of the causes of stress is conflict.
What is Conflict?
A painful state or condition of an individual in which he
experiences an intense emotional tension.
Why is conflict experienced?
•Sometimes it is difficult to choose between equally desirable or
equally undesirable goals –
•Desires are contradictory in nature and so cannot be satisfied fully
at the same time.
•Inner conflict
--- to either satisfy or not satisfy one or the other desire.

15. CONFLICT
DEFINITION
Conflict means a painful emotional state which results from a
tension between opposed and contradictory wishes.
Douglas and Holland
TYPES OF CONFLICT
1. The conflict between person and person.
2. The conflict between a person and his environment
3. The conflict within a person: The conflict within a person of
motives, desires and impulses is called internal conflict.
Types are –Approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance,
approach-avoidance and multiple approach-avoidance
conflict.
Aggarwal, J. C. (2012). Essentials of educational psychology (3rd ed.). New Delhi: Vikas.

16. Approach-Approach Conflict
Forced with two attractive altern
There are two cr the same time.
+ +
Forced with two attractive alternatives
•Ex - There are two courses that you want to take, but they
are scheduled for the same time.
•Easy to resolve but becomes serious if the choice of one
alternative means the loss of an extremely attractive
alternative.

17. Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict
•A person faces two undesirable situations and avoidance of one
forces exposure to the other.
Very difficult to resolve and create intense emotions.
•For example, a woman trying to choose between continuing an
unwanted pregnancy and getting an abortion done (she may
morally be opposed to abortion).
-- --
Avoidance- Avoidance

18. Approach-Avoidance Conflict
•One event or activity has both attractive and unattractive features.
The result is continuing oscillation between approach and
avoidance, creating a great deal of emotional conflict and stress.
•For example, to marry or not to marry.
+
--

19. MultipleApproach-Avoidance Conflict
•A choice must be made between two or more alternatives, each
of which has both positive and negative features.
This is most difficult to resolve. Analyze the expected values of
each course of action and then take a decision.
•For example, a person may have the alternative of
accepting any of the two jobs of which one may be boring
but with a very good pay while the other may be interesting
but with a very poor pay.
+ +

20. RESOLUTION OF FRUSTRATION AND CONFLICT
•Identity the source of frustration, either change it or
control it , If cannot, then learn to accept it.
•Decide important things carefully.
•Review things carefully before taking a decision.Again
check.
•Change our goals or modify our desires.
•Substitute our goals with those which are equally
satisfying but different and obtainable.

21. RESOLUTION OF FRUSTRATION AND CONFLICT
(contd)
•Seek advice from experts, friends or relatives.
•Encourage full expression of positive and negative
feelings within an accepting atmosphere.
•Avoid indecision. Stick with decisions and forget about the
other choices.

22. SUMMARY
We have just learnt about
• Definition of frustration and conflicts.
• Characteristics of frustration.
• Sources or causes of frustration.
• Individual’s reactions to frustration.
• Types of conflicts.
• Resolution of frustration and conflicts.

23. Questions
•Explain frustration with examples.
•Enlist the sources of frustration.
•What are the different reactions to frustration.
•What are different types of conflicts.
•How can you resolve conflicts and frustration.

24. References
1. Aggarwal, J. C. (2012). Essentials of educational psychology
(3rd ed.). New Delhi: Vikas.
2. Mangal, S. K. (2007). Essentials of educational psychology.
New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India.
3. ReddyAN Venkatesh. (2009). Essentials of Psychology for
Nurses (1st ed.). S.l.: JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL P.
4. Sreevani, R. (2013). Psychology For Nurses: as per inc
syllabus (2nd ed.). S.l.: JAYPEE BROTHERS MEDICAL P.
5. https://www.bing.com/images/

25. THANKS