Intrapersonal conflict of personality, ways to overcome the problem, definition. Personal methods of conflict management

A person communicates not only with other people, but also with himself. Absolutely all people talk to themselves. This happens through thinking about an idea, imagining a conversation in which two opponents participate, discussing a topic that has been deeply touched upon, etc. The occurrence of intrapersonal conflict is a completely normal consequence, which can be of different types. The concept and reasons reveal this phenomenon more widely.

Intrapersonal conflict is characteristic of all people who have conflicting views, desires, and ideas. Intrapersonal often arises when a person wants one thing, but the world offers him something else, or the people around him demand something else. This phenomenon happens to everyone, often creating serious problems.

What is intrapersonal conflict?

A person’s communication with himself is called intrapersonal. What is intrapersonal conflict? This is a contradiction that arises within a person as a result of such communication. This conflict is perceived by the individual as serious problem which requires an immediate solution. If a person cannot resolve the situation or is not able to make a final decision, then the problem provokes various disorders and disorders in him. For example, a person may have difficulty sleeping due to the need to think about his problem.

As a result of an intrapersonal conflict, a person can follow one of the following paths:

1. The problem will force him to develop himself. His strength will be mobilized, which is why he will begin to take measures to improve the quality of his life.
2. The problem will slow him down, which will lead to a lack of self-knowledge and the development process.

Intrapersonal conflict is a collision of two or more needs, interests, desires, and drives of equal importance and opposite in direction. In such a situation, a person experiences difficulty in making a decision, making a choice. If he takes one side, then he will lose all the benefits of the other side. A person understands this, therefore he is in doubt, hesitates, and cannot make a choice.

Depending on the significance of the topic that a person cannot resolve, intrapersonal conflict can lead to various troubles and even disorders. While a person is in confrontation with himself, he develops various pathologies at the physiological or psychological level. Once the problem is resolved, the person is on the path to recovery and freedom from all side effects.

The concept of intrapersonal conflict

The concept of intrapersonal conflict refers to the confrontation that arises within a person in connection with the consideration of two opposing or diverse ideas. A feature of intrapersonal conflict is that:

1. A person may not be aware of the conflict within him, but on a subconscious level he compensates for this with activity.
2. There are no outsiders with whom a person argues. A person has a conflict with himself.
3. Confrontation is accompanied by depression, fears, stress and other negative experiences.

Depending on how the personality is characterized, various causes and essences of intrapersonal conflict are distinguished:

• Freud viewed this phenomenon as a confrontation between biological instincts and impulses and the social foundations in which a person is forced to live. When internal desires are not consistent with external opportunities or moral social principles, then a person is stuck in conflict.
• K. Levin defined intrapersonal conflict as a person’s need to live in conditions of simultaneously directed polar forces. Confrontation is a consequence of the equivalence of these forces.
• K. Rogers considered intrapersonal conflict as a consequence of the discrepancy between self-image and understanding of the ideal “I”.
• A. Maslow considered this phenomenon as a consequence of the discrepancy between the desire for self-realization and the results already achieved.
• V. Merlin considered intrapersonal conflict as a consequence of dissatisfaction with personal relationships and motives.
• F. Vasilyuk believed that intrapersonal conflict is a confrontation between two opposing and independent values.

Leontyev believed that intrapersonal conflict is a normal state of the psyche, since it is contradictory. A. Adler identified an inferiority complex, developed in childhood under the influence of an unfavorable environment, as the basis for the emergence of intrapersonal conflict.

E. Erikson believed that in every age period a person necessarily faces various contradictions, successful or not successful resolution which he programs future fate. Successful resolution allows you to move on to the next stage of development. Unsuccessful resolution leads to the emergence of complexes and foundations for the development of intrapersonal conflicts.

Causes of intrapersonal conflicts

Conventionally, the causes of intrapersonal conflicts are divided into 3 types:

1. The inconsistency itself. If a person has many desires, diverse views and values, then conflict cannot be avoided. Here are the following contradictions:

• Between social norms and needs.
• Contradiction between public duty and internal (religious) values.
• Mismatch of needs, interests, desires.
• The struggle between the social roles that a person must play in a specific period of time.

These contradictions must be significant for the individual and at the same time equivalent, otherwise a conflict will not arise, the person will choose what is most acceptable or less harmful to him.

1. A person's status in society.
2. The status of an individual in a specific group. Being in a certain group of people, a person is forced to coordinate his needs with the desires of the environment. Sometimes you have to “step on the throat of your own song” just to get approval for your actions from other people. The following confrontations are observed here:

• External circumstances prevent you from satisfying your needs.
• Lack of a partner who is needed to satisfy the need.
• Physiological defects and pathologies that prevent a person from achieving a goal.
• A society that hinders or limits a person.

A person must do the work, but he is not provided with the necessary tools. They give specific tasks, but the issue of fulfilling the plan is not discussed. A person must be excellent worker, while devoting sufficient time to family. Personal values ​​and the rules proposed in the company often come into conflict.

There are many reasons for conflict within an individual, so absolutely all people experience this phenomenon.

Types of intrapersonal conflict

K. Levin proposed 4 main types of intrapersonal conflict:

1. Equivalent - there is a confrontation between two or more functions that a person must perform. The solution is compromise, partial implementation.
2. Vital – occurs when it is necessary to make equally wrong decisions.
3. – occurs when actions and results are equally liked or repelled.
4. Frustrating - occurs when accepted norms and foundations diverge, the result diverges from the actions taken to achieve the goal, disapproval.

A person faces intrapersonal conflict when he is motivated by two diverse motives. The moral background arises in a situation where a person is forced to weigh his desires with social moral guidelines, his aspirations with duty.

Conflict based on unfulfilled desires arises when a person has goals, but is faced with a reality that prevents him from achieving this. Role conflict occurs when a person is forced to play several roles at the same time, as well as in a situation where the requirements for a person do not coincide with his own ideas about a given role or capabilities.

The conflict of inadequate self-esteem arises as a result of a discrepancy between one’s self-image and the assessment of personal potential.

Resolving intrapersonal conflict

Adler persistently dealt with the resolution of intrapersonal conflict, who initially determined that an inferiority complex provokes this phenomenon. Until the age of 5, the character of a person is formed, who is constantly exposed to various unfavorable social circumstances. Further he only different ways tries to compensate for his shortcomings.

Adler identified 2 ways to resolve intrapersonal conflict:

1. Development of social interest and feeling. Successful development allows you to adapt to society and build good relationships. Otherwise, alcoholism, drug addiction, and crime develop.
2. Stimulation of one's own potential:

• Adequate compensation.
• Overcompensation is the development of one ability.
• Imaginary compensation - certain factors compensate for an inferiority complex.

Resolution of intrapersonal conflict can occur in the following ways:

1. Open:

• Ending doubts.
• Making decisions.
• Concentration on solving the problem.

1. Hidden (latent):

• Simulation, hysteria, torment.
• Rationalization is self-justification through logical reasoning, which includes selective arguments.
• Sublimation.
• Idealization is abstraction, separation from reality.
• Compensation is making up for what was lost with other goals and achievements.
• Regression – avoidance of responsibility, return to primitive forms of existence.
• Escape from reality - dreams.
• Euphoria is a joyful state, feigned joy.
• Nomadism is a change of place of residence or work.
• Projection is the attribution of one’s own negative qualities to others.
• Differentiation is the separation of thoughts from the author.

Consequences of intrapersonal conflict

Intrapersonal conflict influences how personality is further formed. The consequences can be either productive or destructive, depending on the decisions made by the individual.

Successful conflict resolution leads to self-knowledge, increased self-esteem and personal fulfillment. A person rises above himself, develops, becomes stronger, improves his own life.

The negative consequences of intrapersonal conflict are neurotic disorders, crises, and split personality. The person becomes aggressive, irritable, anxious, restless. A person’s professional ability and ability to establish contacts with others are impaired.

If a person cannot cope with his own internal problems and long time gives them a central place in his life, then neurotic conflicts arise. A person changes under their influence.

Bottom line

Intrapersonal conflict is common to all people. A person does not live in “hothouse” conditions, where he can not worry about anything, not worry, and not encounter troubles. The outcome will depend personally on the person who sooner or later makes a certain decision after a long intrapersonal conflict.

Whatever decision a person makes, this is the path he will follow. And in the future, problems of a similar or different nature will arise again. The person will again make decisions that will affect his development and actions. This shapes his future, that is, the life he then lives.

Introduction

Concept and types of intrapersonal conflicts

Basic psychological concepts of intrapersonal conflicts

Forms of manifestation and methods of resolving intrapersonal conflicts

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Conflicts occupy a special place in human life and society. Managing them in an organization is one of the most important areas in a manager’s activity. Success in solving complex conflict problems and the overall success of his management activities and the creation of a healthy socio-psychological climate in the organization depend on his conflict management competence.

Conflict is a phenomenon familiar to every person, especially to the head of an organization. Translated from Latin, conflictus literally means collision. The science that studies conflicts (conflictology) appeared in the mid-20th century, but the phenomenon of conflict itself has existed as long as humans have lived on Earth. Almost no ancient thinker avoided the topic of conflicts. In ancient Chinese philosophy, reflections on conflict can be found in Confucius, Sun Tzu and other thinkers. In ancient Greek philosophy, the conflictological ideas of Heraclitus, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle and many others deserve attention. The topic of conflicts did not lose its relevance in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, in the era of Modern Times and the Age of Enlightenment. The conflict was the focus of thinkers and scientists in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The idea that conflicts are an eternal companion of human life was very well expressed by one of the modern researchers of this problem, Charles Lixon: “If there are no conflicts in your life, check if you have a pulse.”

Conflicts involving humans can be classified as social and intrapersonal.

Social conflicts: interpersonal, between the individual and the group, between small, medium and large social groups, international conflicts.

Intrapersonal conflicts: between “I want” and “I don’t want”; “I can” and “I can’t”; “I want” and “I can’t”; “I want” and “need”; “need” and “don’t need”; “need” and “can’t”.

Intrapersonal conflict is one of the most complex psychological conflicts that plays out in a person’s inner world. It is difficult to imagine a person who would not be subject to intrapersonal conflicts. Moreover, a person constantly faces such conflicts. Intrapersonal conflicts constructive are necessary moments of personality development. But destructive intrapersonal conflicts pose a serious danger to the individual, from difficult experiences that cause stress to the extreme form of their resolution - suicide. Therefore, it is important for every person to know the essence of intrapersonal conflicts, their causes and methods of resolution.

In this test we will consider one of the types of intrapersonal conflict: I need - I can’t.

.Concept and types of intrapersonal conflicts

intrapersonal conflict

Intrapersonal conflict is a conflict within the mental world of a person, representing a collision of its oppositely directed motives (needs, interests, values, goals, ideals).

Most theoretical concepts present one or more types of intrapersonal conflicts. In psychoanalysis, conflicts between the needs of the individual, as well as between needs and social norms, occupy a central place. In interactionism, role conflicts are analyzed. However, in real life there are many other intrapersonal conflicts. In order to build their unified typology, a basis is needed according to which this variety of internal conflicts can be combined into a system. This basis is the value-motivational sphere of the individual. This most important sphere of the human psyche is associated with his internal conflict, since it reflects the various connections and relationships of the individual with the outside world.

Based on this, the following main structures of the individual’s inner world that come into conflict are identified.

Motives that reflect the aspirations of an individual at various levels (needs, interests, desires, drives, etc.). They can be expressed by the concept “I want” (“I want”).

Values ​​that embody social norms and, thanks to this, act as standards of what is proper. We mean personal values, that is, those accepted by the individual, as well as those that are not accepted by him, but due to their social or other significance, the individual is forced to follow them. Therefore, they are designated as “must” (“I must”).

Self-esteem, defined as self-worth for oneself, an individual’s assessment of one’s capabilities, qualities and place among other people. Being an expression of the level of aspiration of an individual, self-esteem acts as a kind of stimulator of its activity and behavior. Expressed as “can” or “cannot” (“I am”).

Depending on which aspects of the individual’s inner world enter into internal conflict, six main types of intrapersonal conflict are distinguished.

Motivational conflict. One of the frequently studied types of intrapersonal conflict, in particular in the psychoanalytic direction. Conflicts are distinguished between unconscious aspirations (Z. Freud), between the desires for possession and for security (K. Horney), between two positive tendencies - the classic dilemma of “Buridan's donkey” (K. Lewin), or as a clash of various motives.

Moral conflict. In ethical teachings it is often called a moral or normative conflict (V. Bakshtanovsky, I. Arnitsane, D. Fedorina). Seen as a conflict between desire and duty, between moral principles and personal attachments (V. Myasishchev). A. Spivakovskaya highlights the conflict between the desire to act in accordance with the desires and requirements of adults or society. Sometimes it is seen as a conflict between duty and doubt about the need to follow it (F. Vasilyuk, V. Frankl).

Conflict of unfulfilled desire or inferiority complex (Yu. Yurlov). This is a conflict between desires and reality, which blocks their satisfaction. Sometimes it is interpreted as a conflict between “I want to be like them” (reference group) and the inability to realize this (A, Zakharov). Conflict can arise not only when reality blocks the realization of a desire, but also as a result of a person’s physical impossibility of fulfilling it. These are conflicts that arise due to dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, physical characteristics and abilities. This type also includes intrapersonal conflicts based on sexual pathologies (S. Kratokhvil, A. Svyadoshch, A. Kharitonov).

Role conflict is expressed in experiences associated with the inability to simultaneously fulfill several roles (inter-role intrapersonal conflict), as well as in connection with different understandings of the requirements imposed by the individual himself to perform one role (intra-role conflict). This type includes intrapersonal conflicts between two values, strategies or meanings of life.

Adaptation conflict is understood both in a broad sense, that is, as arising on the basis of an imbalance between the subject and the environment, and in a narrow sense - when the process of social or professional adaptation is disrupted. This is a conflict between the demands of reality and human capabilities - professional, physical, psychological. The discrepancy between an individual's capabilities and the requirements of the environment or activity can be considered both temporary unpreparedness and inability to fulfill the requirements.

Conflict of inadequate self-esteem. The adequacy of a person’s self-esteem depends on his criticality, self-demandingness, and attitude towards successes and failures. The discrepancy between aspirations and assessment of one’s capabilities leads to the fact that a person experiences increased anxiety, emotional breakdowns, etc. (A. Petrovsky, M. Yaroshevsky). Among the conflicts of inadequate self-esteem, conflicts are distinguished between inflated self-esteem and the desire to realistically assess one’s capabilities (T. Yuferova), between low self-esteem and awareness objective achievements a person, as well as between the desire to increase aspirations in order to achieve maximum success and lower aspirations in order to avoid failure (D. Heckhausen).

In addition, neurotic conflict is distinguished. It is the result of a long-lasting “simple” intrapersonal conflict.

2. Basic psychological concepts of intrapersonal conflicts

The problem of intrapersonal conflict in the views of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

According to 3. Freud, man is conflictual by nature. From birth, two opposing instincts struggle in him, determining his behavior. Such instincts are: eros (sexual instinct, instinct of life and self-preservation) and thanatos (instinct of death, aggression, destruction and destruction). Intrapersonal conflict is a consequence of the eternal struggle between eros and thanatos. This struggle, according to Z. Freud, manifests itself in the ambivalence of human feelings, in their inconsistency. The ambivalence of feelings is enhanced by the inconsistency of social existence and reaches a state of conflict, which manifests itself in neurosis.

The conflict nature of man is most fully and specifically represented by 3. Freud in his views on the structure of personality. According to Freud, the inner world of a person includes three instances: It (Id), “I” (Ego) and Super-Ego.

It is a primary, innate authority, initially irrational and subordinate to the principle of pleasure. It manifests itself in unconscious desires and drives, which manifest themselves in unconscious impulses and reactions.

“I” is a rational authority based on the principle of reality. The id “I” brings irrational, unconscious impulses into conformity with the requirements of real reality, that is, the requirements of the reality principle.

The super-ego is a “censorship” authority based on the principle of reality and represented by social norms and values, the requirements that society places on the individual.

The main internal contradictions of the personality are between the Id and the Super-Ego, which are regulated and resolved by the “I”. If the “I” was unable to resolve the contradiction between the It and the Super-Ego, then deep experiences arise in the conscious instance that characterize an intrapersonal conflict.

Freud in his theory not only reveals the causes of intrapersonal conflicts, but also reveals the mechanisms of defense against them. He considers the main mechanism of such protection to be sublimation, that is, the transformation of a person’s sexual energy into other types of his activity, including his creativity. In addition, Freud also identifies such defense mechanisms as: projection, rationalization, repression, regression, etc.

Alfred Adler's inferiority complex theory (1870-1937)

According to the views of A. Adler, the formation of a person’s character occurs in the first five years of a person’s life. During this period, he experiences the influence of unfavorable factors, which give rise to an inferiority complex in him. Subsequently, this complex has a significant impact on the behavior of the individual, his activity, way of thinking, etc. This determines the intrapersonal conflict.

Adler explains not only the mechanisms of formation of intrapersonal conflicts, but also reveals ways to resolve such conflicts (compensation for the inferiority complex). He identifies two such paths. Firstly, this is the development of “social feeling”, social interest. The developed "social sense" ultimately manifests itself in interesting work, normal interpersonal relationships etc. But a person can also develop a so-called “underdeveloped social feeling”, which has various negative forms of manifestation: crime, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc. Secondly, stimulation of one’s own abilities, achieving superiority over others. Compensation for an inferiority complex by stimulating one’s own abilities can have three forms of manifestation: a) adequate compensation when superiority coincides with the content of social interests (sports, music, creativity, etc.); b) overcompensation, when there is an exaggerated development of one of the abilities that has a pronounced egoistic character (hoarding, dexterity, etc.); c) imaginary compensation, when the inferiority complex is compensated by illness, prevailing circumstances or other factors beyond the control of the subject.

The Teachings of Extraversion and Introversion by Carl Jung (1875-1961)

K. Jung, in explaining intrapersonal conflicts, proceeds from the recognition of the conflictual nature of the personal attitude itself. In his book “Psychological Types,” published in 1921, he gave a personality typology that is still considered one of the most convincing and is widely used in both theoretical and practical psychology. K. Jung's personality typology is based on four bases (personal functions): thinking, sensations, feelings and intuition. Each of the mental functions, according to C. Jung, can manifest itself in two directions - extraversion and introversion. Based on all this, he identifies eight personality types, the so-called psychosociotypes: extroverted thinker; introverted thinker; extroverted sensation; introverted sensation; emotional-extrovert; emotional-introvert; intuitive-extravert; intuitive-introvert.

The main thing in Jung's typology is orientation - extraversion or introversion. It is this that determines the personal attitude, which ultimately manifests itself in intrapersonal conflict.

Thus, an extrovert is initially focused on the outside world. He builds his inner world in accordance with the outer one. An introvert is initially self-absorbed. For him, the most important thing is the world of internal experiences, and not the external world with its rules and laws. Obviously, an extrovert is more susceptible to intrapersonal conflicts than an introvert. (

The concept of "existential dichotomy" by Erich Fromm (1900-1980)

In explaining intrapersonal conflicts, E. Fromm tried to overcome biological interpretations of personality and put forward the concept of “existential dichotomy.” In accordance with this concept, the causes of intrapersonal conflicts lie in the dichotomous nature of the person himself, which manifests itself in his existential problems: the problem of life and death; the limitations of human life; the enormous potential of man and the limited conditions for their implementation, etc.

More specifically, E. Fromm implements philosophical approaches in explaining intrapersonal conflicts in the theories of biophilia (love of life) and necrophilia (love of death).

Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development (1902-1994)

The essence of Erikson's theory is that he put forward and substantiated the idea of ​​stages of psychosocial development of the individual, at each of which each person experiences his own crisis. But at each age stage, either a favorable overcoming of a crisis situation occurs, or an unfavorable one. In the first case, there is a positive development of the personality, its confident transition to the next life stage with good prerequisites for successfully overcoming it. In the second case, the person moves into a new stage of his life with the problems (complexes) of the previous stage. All this creates unfavorable preconditions for the development of the individual and causes internal experiences in her. The stages of psychosocial development of personality according to E. Erikson are given in table. 8.1.

Motivational conflicts according to Kurt Lewin (1890-1947)

The classification of internal conflicts presented in Table 1 is of great practical value for identifying intrapersonal conflicts and determining ways to resolve them. 8.2.

In addition to the psychological concepts of intrapersonal conflicts outlined above, there are others developed within the framework of cognitive and humanistic psychology.

3. Forms of manifestation and methods of resolving intrapersonal conflicts

To resolve intrapersonal conflicts, it is important, firstly, to establish the fact of such a conflict, and secondly, to determine the type of conflict and its cause; and third, apply the appropriate resolution method. It should be remembered that often in order to resolve intrapersonal conflicts, their carriers need psychological and sometimes psychotherapeutic help.

Table 1. Stages of psychosocial development according to E. Erikson

Stage Age Content of the crisis Positive resolution 10-1 year old newborn Trust - distrust Trust 21-3 years old early childhood Autonomy - shame, doubt Autonomy 33-6 years old “age of play” Initiative - feeling of guilt Initiative 46-12 years old primary school age Hard work - feeling of inferiority Hard work 512-19 years old middle and high school age I - identity - confusion rolesIdentity620 - 25 years early maturity Closeness - isolation Closeness 726-64 years middle maturity Generation, creativity - stagnation Creativity 865 years - death late maturity Integration - despair Integration, wisdom

Table 2.

Classification of intrapersonal conflicts according to K. Lewin

Type of conflict CauseResolution modelEquivalent (approach-approach)Choice of two or more equally attractive and mutually exclusive objectsCompromiseVital (avoidance-avoidance)Choice between two equally unattractive objectsCompromiseAmbivalent (approach-avoidance)Choice of an object that simultaneously contains attractive and unattractive sidesReconciliation

Below in Table 3 we present the forms of manifestation of internal conflicts, which are designed to help you detect them in yourself or other people, and in Table 4 - ways to resolve them.

Table 3. Forms of manifestation of internal conflicts

Form of manifestationSymptomsNeurastheniaIntolerance to strong irritants; depressed mood; decreased performance; poor sleep; headachesEuphoriaShowing fun; the expression of joy is inadequate to the situation; “laughter through tears” RegressionReturn to primitive forms of behavior; avoidance of responsibilityProjectionAttribution negative qualities to another; criticism of others, often unfoundedNomadismFrequent changes in place of residence, place of work, marital statusRationalismSelf-justification of one’s actions and actions

Table 4. Ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts

Method of resolution Content of actions Compromise Make a choice in favor of an option and begin to implement it Care Avoidance of solving the problem Reorientation Change of claims regarding the object that caused the internal problem Sublimation Transfer of psychic energy to other areas of activity - creativity, sports, music, etc. Idealization Indulging in dreams, fantasies, care from reality Repression Suppression of feelings, aspirations, desires Correction Changing the self-concept towards achieving an adequate idea of ​​oneself

A person’s life is structured in such a way that the likelihood of circumstances threatening to disrupt the optimal process of personal development, his inner world, is great, and it’s bad if a person is not prepared for them. It is difficult to imagine a person who does not have intrapersonal conflicts. However, it is necessary to avoid destructive internal conflicts, and if they arise, then resolve them with minimal costs to health.

Knowing the causes and factors that contribute to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts, the characteristics of their experience, it is possible to justify the conditions for their prevention.

To preserve the inner world of the individual, it is important to accept difficult life situations as a given of existence, since they encourage activity, work on oneself, and often creativity.

The formation of each person is of great importance life values and following them in your deeds and actions. Life principles help to avoid many situations associated with doubts about the truth of the cause that a person serves. We must try not to be a “weathervane” person.

However, constancy and loyalty to oneself in certain conditions manifest themselves as inertia, conservatism, weakness, and inability to adapt to changing requirements. If a person finds the strength to break the usual way of existence, having become convinced of its inconsistency, then the way out of the intrapersonal contradiction will be productive. You must be flexible, flexible, adaptive, be able to realistically assess the situation and, if necessary, change.

It is important, when giving in on small things, not to turn it into a system. Constant instability, denial of stable attitudes and patterns of behavior will lead to intrapersonal conflicts.

It is necessary to hope for better development events, never lose hope that life situation can always improve. An optimistic attitude towards life is an important indicator of a person’s mental health.

Do not be a slave to your desires, soberly assess your capabilities to satisfy your desires and needs.

You need to learn to manage yourself, your psyche. This especially applies to managing your emotional state.

The development of strong-willed qualities greatly contributes to the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts. It is the will, which represents the achieved level of self-regulation of one’s activities and behavior, presupposing the ability to make decisions with knowledge of the matter, that should accompany all types of human life. The role of will is great in intrapersonal conflict, where only with its help a person can overcome the difficulties of the situation.

Constantly clarify and adjust the hierarchy of roles for yourself. The desire to implement all the functions arising from a particular role, to take into account all the wishes of others will inevitably lead to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts.

A fairly high level of personal maturity contributes to the prevention of role-related intrapersonal conflicts. It involves going beyond purely role behavior with its template reactions, with strict adherence to accepted standards. Genuine morality is not blind adherence to generally accepted moral norms, but the possibility of one’s own moral creativity, “trans-situational” activity” of the individual.

It is necessary to strive to ensure that a person’s assessment of his “I” corresponds to his actual “I”, that is, to ensure the adequacy of self-esteem. Low or high self-esteem is often associated with a reluctance or inability to admit something to oneself. It also happens that a person evaluates himself adequately to reality, but wants others to evaluate him differently. Such evaluative dissonance will sooner or later lead to intrapersonal conflict.

Do not accumulate problems that require resolution. Postponing the solution of problems “for later” or the position of “an ostrich with its head in the sand” is far from The best way avoiding difficulties, since in the end a person is forced (will make a choice, which is fraught with conflicts.

You shouldn’t take on everything at once, you shouldn’t strive to implement everything at the same time. The optimal solution is to create priorities in the programs being implemented and the tasks being performed. Complex problems are best solved piecemeal. Try not to lie. It can be argued that there are no people who would never lie to anyone. This is true. But there is always the possibility, in situations where it is impossible to tell the truth, to simply evade the answer: change the topic of conversation, remain silent, get off with a joke, etc. A lie can create intrapersonal problems, unpleasant situations in communication, which will lead to worries and actualization of feelings of guilt.

Try to have a philosophical attitude towards the vicissitudes of fate, and do not panic if luck changes you.

Resolution (overcoming) of an intrapersonal conflict is understood as restoring the coherence of the individual’s inner world, establishing unity of consciousness, reducing the severity of contradictions in life relationships, and achieving a new quality of life. Resolution of intrapersonal conflict can be constructive and destructive. By constructively overcoming intrapersonal conflict, one achieves peace of mind, understanding of life deepens, a new value consciousness arises. The resolution of intrapersonal conflict is realized through: the absence painful conditions related to the existing conflict; reducing the manifestations of negative psychological and socio-psychological factors of intrapersonal conflict; improving quality and efficiency professional activity.

Factors of constructive resolution of intrapersonal conflicts. Depending on individual characteristics, people relate to internal contradictions differently and choose their own strategies for getting out of conflict situations. Some are immersed in thoughts, others immediately begin to act, and others plunge into the emotions overwhelming them. There is no single recipe for the correct attitude towards intrapersonal conflicts1. It is important that a person, being aware of his own individual characteristics, develops his own style of resolving internal contradictions and a constructive attitude towards them.

Overcoming an intrapersonal conflict depends on the deep-seated worldview of the individual, the content of his faith, and the experience of overcoming himself.

The development of strong-willed qualities contributes to a person’s successful overcoming of internal conflicts. Will forms the basis of the entire system of human self-regulation. IN difficult situations the will, as a rule, harmonizes external demands and internal desires. If the will is not developed enough, that which requires the least resistance wins, and this does not always lead to success.

The methods of conflict resolution and the time spent on this are different for people with different types of temperament. The choleric person decides everything quickly, preferring defeat to uncertainty. The melancholic person thinks for a long time, weighs, estimates, not daring to take any action. However, such a painful reflexive process does not exclude the possibility of radically changing the current situation. The properties of temperament influence the dynamic side of resolving intrapersonal contradictions: the speed of experiences, their stability, individual rhythm of flow, intensity, direction outward or inward.

The process of resolving intrapersonal contradictions is influenced by gender and age characteristics of the individual. With increasing age, intrapersonal contradictions acquire forms of resolution typical for a given individual. Periodically remembering what we have lived through, we return to critical points, which once disrupted the measured flow of life, we rethink them in a new way, analyze more deeply and generally the ways of resolving conflicts, overcoming what seemed insurmountable. Working on your past, analyzing your own biography is one of the ways to develop internal stability, integrity, and harmony.

There are different ways for men and women to resolve conflicts. Men are more rational; with each new intrapersonal experience, they enrich their set of means of resolving the situation. Women rejoice and suffer in a new way every time. They are more diverse in personal characteristics, and men - in role-playing. Women have more time to update and, as it were, re-edit the accumulated experience; men are less inclined to return to what they have experienced, but they are able to get out of the conflict in a timely manner.

Overcoming intrapersonal conflict is ensured by the formation and operation of mechanisms psychological protection. Psychological defense is a normal, everyday functioning mechanism of the psyche. It is a product of ontogenetic development and learning. Developing as a means of socio-psychological adaptation, psychological defense mechanisms are designed to control emotions in cases where experience signals a person about the negative consequences of their experience and expression.

Some researchers consider psychological defense to be an unproductive means of resolving internal conflict. They believe that defense mechanisms limit the development of the individual, his “own activity.”

Conclusion

In foreign and domestic science it has developed different understanding intrapersonal conflict. It is considered based on the understanding of personality that has developed within the framework of a certain scientific paradigm. Intrapersonal conflict is an acute negative experience caused by a protracted struggle between the structures of the inner world, reflecting contradictory connections with the social environment, and delaying decision-making. Indicators of intrapersonal conflict in the cognitive, emotional and behavioral spheres of the individual are highlighted. Integral indicators of internal conflict are disruption of the normal adaptation mechanism and increased psychological stress.

The main types of intrapersonal conflict: motivational, moral, conflict of unfulfilled desire, role, adaptation and conflict of inadequate self-esteem.

Among the conditions for the emergence of intrapersonal conflict, there are personal (the presence of a complex inner world, a developed hierarchy of motives, a system of feelings, a tendency to introspection and reflection) and situational (external: objective obstacles, demands of society, others; internal: a contradiction between significant relationships of approximately equal strength, which is perceived as unsolvable).

The experience of intrapersonal conflict is a special form of personality activity in which a contradiction is recognized and resolved at the subjective level. The basis of the experience is psycho-emotional stress, having subjective quality and substantive content.

Internal conflicts can lead to both constructive and destructive consequences. The latter includes the emergence of neurotic conflict.

In modern science, suicidal behavior is considered as a consequence of maladaptation of the individual in the conditions of the microsocial conflict he experiences. A central role in the emergence of a suicidal personality crisis can be played by conflicts caused by the specifics of work activity, family relationships, associated with a person’s antisocial behavior, caused by health conditions or material and living difficulties. Suicidal behavior is based on interpersonal or intrapersonal conflict. An indispensable condition for this is a special personal predisposition, as a result of which the individual is unable to cope with actual problem.

Suicide refers to an extremely destructive way out of intrapersonal conflict. The psychological structure of suicidal behavior is the interrelation of motivational, affective, orientation and executive components of an individual’s activity and communication in a personal crisis situation. The guidelines for determining specific forms and techniques of psychotherapeutic correction of suicidal behavior are the integral properties of the suicidal personality, which include a number of levels of mental activity: cognitive, emotional-motivational and behavioral.

There are a number of conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts. Among them are the following: the presence of a stable system of values ​​and motives of the individual; adaptability and flexibility; optimistic attitude towards life; the ability to manage your desires and emotions; development of volitional qualities; clarification of the hierarchy of roles; adequacy of self-esteem; timely resolution of emerging problems; truthfulness in relationships, etc. The resolution of internal conflict is understood as restoring the coherence of the components of the inner world of the individual, establishing the unity of the psyche, reducing the severity of the contradictions in life relationships. The resolution of internal conflicts is influenced by ideological attitudes, strong-willed qualities, temperament, gender and age characteristics of personality. The mechanisms for resolving intrapersonal conflicts are the mechanisms of psychological defense: denial, projection, regression, replacement, suppression, isolation, introjection, intellectualization, annulment, sublimation, rationalization, reactive formation, compensation, identification and fantasy.

Bibliography

1. Antsupov A.Ya., Shipilov A.I. Conflictology. - M.: UNITY, 1999. - 551 p.

2. Gromova O.N. Conflictology. - M.: Association of Authors and Publishers “Tandem”, EKMOS, 2000. - 320 p.

Dmitriev A.V. Conflictology. - M.: Gardariki, 2000. - 320 p.

Koveshnikov Yu. Conflict resolution: a creative approach // Teacher's newspaper. - 1996. - No. 31. - p. 15.

Conflictology / Ed. A.S. Carmina. - St. Petersburg: Lan, 2001. - 448 p.

Practical psychology / Ed. M.K. Tutushkina. - St. Petersburg: Didactics Plus, 1998. - 336 p.

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Man is a complex creature that requires study. Scientists not only pay attention to studying the human body, but also understand the importance of the inner psychological world. A person can conflict with himself. The article examines the concept, its types, reasons for its appearance, methods of resolution and consequences.

What is intrapersonal conflict?

Intrapersonal conflicts arise in the life of every person. What it is? This is a contradiction within oneself, which is based on equivalent and at the same time opposing needs, desires, and interests.

It is very easy to get confused in your own desires. On the one hand, a person may want to take revenge, on the other hand, he understands that his actions will harm his peaceful existence. On the one hand, a person wants to be rich, on the other, he is afraid of appearing bad in the eyes of others.

When a person is faced with a choice where he should choose one thing that is equal in importance to another, but opposite to it, then he enters into an intrapersonal conflict.

Developments can go in one of two directions:

1. A person will rapidly begin to develop if he mobilizes his own potential and begins to solve his problem.
2. A person will find himself in a “dead end”, where he will drive himself, because he will not be able to make a choice and will not begin to act.

It is quite normal for a person to have a struggle within himself. Everyone lives in a world where there is so much truth. From childhood, everyone is taught that there can be only one truth, and everything else is a lie. A person gets used to living one-sidedly. However, he is not a “blind kitten”; he sees that there are many realities in which people live.

Morals and desires, beliefs and actions, the opinion of society and one’s own needs often come into conflict. So, a person may want to be a pianist, and his parents, whom he loves very much, want him to be an accountant. In such a situation, a person often chooses the “parental” path rather than his own, which leads to an unhappy life.

The concept of intrapersonal conflict

The concept of intrapersonal conflict is a confrontation that arises within a person between two equal and opposite motives. All this is accompanied by various experiences (fear, depression, disorientation), during which a person may not notice or deny them, replacing his state with active activity.

Quite a lot of psychologists have studied this topic to understand the motives and mechanisms of development of intrapersonal conflict. It all started with S. Freud, who defined this concept as a struggle between instinctual desires and sociocultural foundations, between the conscious and the subconscious.

Other concepts of intrapersonal conflict are:

• The clash between the real self and the ideal self-image.
• The struggle between equivalent values, among which the highest is self-realization.
• A crisis of transition to a new state, when the old fights with the new and is rejected.

Psychologists believe that intrapersonal conflict is a completely normal state for a person who by nature is a contradictory creature. Everyone experiences periods in their lives when they are inevitably confronted with what they already have and what they might have if they lose what they have.

The result of resolution is a person’s transition to a new level, where he uses old experience and gains new one. However, people often refuse development in order to preserve what they already have. This is called degradation. This can also be a way out of the situation if a person sees in the “new life” something that can significantly worsen his integrity, safety, and independence.

Causes of intrapersonal conflict

There are many reasons for the development of intrapersonal conflict. The main reasons are three:

1. Reasons that lie hidden in personality contradictions.
2. Reasons related to the status of the individual in society.
3. Reasons related to the status of the individual in a particular social group.

These reasons are interrelated. Often internal conflicts arise against the background of the emergence external factors, as well as vice versa. The more reasonable, understanding and complex a person is in his structure, the more prone he is to internal conflicts, since he will strive to combine the incompatible.

Here are the contradictions on the basis of which intrapersonal conflicts arise:

• Between social norms and needs.
• Confrontation of social roles (for example, taking a child to kindergarten and doing work at the same time).
• Mismatch of motives, interests, needs.
• Inconsistency between moral principles (for example, going to war and adhering to the principle “thou shalt not kill”).

The most important factor that provokes intrapersonal conflict is the equivalence for a person of those directions at which he is at a crossroads. If for an individual one of the options does not play an important role, then confrontation will not arise: he will quickly make a choice in favor of the option that is most significant for him. The conflict begins when both options are important, significant and practically equivalent.

Contradictions that arise within a person due to status in a group:

• Physical obstacles that are organized by other people and prevent you from satisfying your personal needs.
• Biological problems that prevent a person from achieving their full potential.
• Lack of opportunity to realize your need to achieve the desired sensations.
• Excessive responsibility and limited human rights that prevent him from carrying out his work.
• Between working conditions and job performance requirements.
• Between professionalism, culture, norms and personal needs, values.
• Between incompatible tasks.
• Between the desire for profit and moral values.
• Between a clearly defined task and the vagueness of its implementation.
• Between career ambitions and personal abilities of a person within the framework of the organization.

Types of intrapersonal conflict

The classification of intrapersonal conflict was proposed by K. Levin, who identified the following types:

1. Equivalent – ​​the need to perform two or more significant tasks. In this case, a compromise is effective when partial substitution occurs.
2. Vital – the need to make equally unattractive decisions.
3. Ambivalent - when the actions taken and the results achieved are equally attractive and repulsive.
4. Frustrating - when the actions taken or decisions made help in achieving the desired, but contradict moral values, social norms and rules.

Another classification of types of intrapersonal conflicts is based on the value-motivational sphere of a person:

• A motivational conflict arises when two equally significant tendencies that contradict each other come into conflict.
• Moral contradiction (normative conflict) arises when personal needs and moral principles, internal aspirations and external duty conflict.
• A conflict of unfulfilled desires is when a person cannot achieve his goal due to external obstacles.
• Role conflict arises when it is necessary to perform several roles at once, and also when external demands are not consistent with the internal understanding of fulfilling one role.
• Adaptation conflict appears when internal needs and external social demands come into conflict.
• A conflict of inadequate self-esteem is formed when the opinions of others do not coincide with a person’s opinion of himself.

Resolving intrapersonal conflict

Psychologists not only considered the mechanism of development of intrapersonal conflict, but also looked for ways to resolve it. It is believed that a person is formed during the first 5 years of his life. During this period, he encounters many negative external factors that develop complexes in him, or a feeling of inferiority.

In the future, a person is only looking for convenient ways to compensate this feeling. Adler identified two such methods:

1. Development of social interest and feeling, which can manifest itself in the development of professional skills, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
2. Stimulating your own potential, achieving superiority over your environment. This is done in the following ways:

• Adequate compensation – consistency of excellence with social interests.
• Overcompensation is the hypertrophied development of a specific quality.
• Imaginary compensation - external circumstances compensate for feelings of inferiority.

M. Deutsch identified open and latent forms of resolving intrapersonal conflict:

• Open:

1. Decision-making.
2. Fixation on solving the problem.
3. Ending doubts.

• Latent:

1. Simulation, hysteria, torment.
2. Escaping reality into dreams and fantasies.
3. Compensation is the replacement of what has not been achieved with other goals.
4. Regression is the renunciation of desires, avoidance of responsibility, transition to primitive forms of existence.
5. Sublimation.
6. Nomadism – change of permanent residence, job.
7. Neurasthenia.
8. Projection is not noticing your negative qualities, attributing them to other people.
9. Rationalization – self-justification, finding selective logical conclusions.
10. Idealization.
11. Euphoria is artificial fun.
12. Differentiation is the separation of thinking from the author.

Understanding these mechanisms is necessary to successfully overcome the intrapersonal conflict that arises in absolutely all people.

Consequences of intrapersonal conflict

Depending on the ways in which a person overcomes his intrapersonal conflict, this period can be marked by self-improvement of the individual or its degradation. The consequences are conventionally divided into positive and negative.

Positive consequences arise when a person resolves his intrapersonal issue. He does not run away from the problem, gets to know himself, understands the reasons for the conflict. Sometimes it is possible to satisfy two sides at the same time, sometimes a person compromises or must completely abandon one in order to realize the other. If a person resolves his conflict, then he becomes more perfect and achieves positive results.

Negative (destructive) consequences are the results when a person begins to be psychologically suppressed. A split personality occurs, neurotic qualities arise, and crises occur.

How more than a person affected by internal conflicts, the more he is susceptible not only to consequences in the form of destruction of relationships, dismissal from work, deterioration in performance, but also to qualitative changes in his personality:

• Irritability.
• Worry.
• Anxiety.

Often such conflicts become the causes of psychological illnesses. All this suggests that a person does not solve the problem, but suffers from it, avoids it, tries to run away or not notice, but it disturbs and worries him.

A person is not able to escape from himself, so the need to resolve intrapersonal conflict is fundamental. Depending on the accepted by man decision, he will get one result or another.

Bottom line

A person is a complex of beliefs, rules, frameworks, desires, interests, needs and other attitudes, some of which are instinctive, some are personally developed, and the rest are social. Usually a person tries to satisfy all the needs that are inherent in him at the same time. However, the result of such aspiration is intrapersonal conflict.

Man struggling with your own desires, interests or needs, because he tries to be everywhere, to live in accordance with all desires, and not to upset anyone, including himself. However, this becomes impossible within real world. It is the awareness of one’s own inability to satisfy all one’s needs that provokes negative feelings.

A person must cope with his own experiences in order to begin to deal with the problem that has arisen, and not further cultivate a feeling of inferiority. One should start by studying those two opposing forces that cause internal conflict, and then decide how to eliminate it.

Every person has at least once found himself in a conflict situation, and not only with the outside world - those around him, but also, above all, with himself. And internal conflicts can easily develop into external ones. For a mentally healthy person, internal conflict that does not go beyond the norm is quite natural. Moreover, the situation of intrapersonal inconsistency and tension within certain limits is not only natural, but also necessary for the improvement and development of the individual himself. Any development cannot occur without internal contradictions (crises), and where there are contradictions, there is also a basis for conflict. And if an intrapersonal conflict occurs within the framework of reason, it is really necessary, because a moderate critical attitude towards one’s own “I”, dissatisfaction with oneself, as a powerful internal engine, forces a person to follow the path of self-actualization and self-improvement, thereby filling not only his own life with meaning, but also improving the world.

The scientific study of intrapersonal conflict began in late XIX century and was associated primarily with the name of the founder of psychoanalysis - the Austrian scientist Sigmund Freud(1856 - 1939), who revealed the biosocial and biopsychological nature of intrapersonal conflict. He showed that human existence is associated with constant voltage And overcoming contradictions between socio-cultural norms and biological drives and desires of a person, between consciousness and the unconscious. According to Freud, the essence of intrapersonal conflict lies in this contradiction and constant confrontation between these parties. Within the framework of psychoanalysis, the theory of intrapersonal conflict was also developed by K. Jung, K. Horney and others.

The German psychologist made a great contribution to the study of the problem of intrapersonal conflict Kurt Lewin(1890-1947), who defined it as a situation in which a person opposite forces act simultaneously equal size. In this regard, he highlighted three type of conflict situation.

1. A person is between two positive forces approximately equal in size. “This is the case of Buridan’s donkey, located between two equal haystacks and dying of hunger.”

2. A person is between two approximately equal negative forces. Typical example- situation of punishment. Example: on the one hand, a child must do a school task that he does not want to do, and on the other hand, he can be punished if he does not do it.

3. A person is simultaneously affected by two multidirectional forces approximately equal in size and in the same place. Example: a child wants to pet a dog, but he is afraid of it, or wants to eat cake, but he is forbidden.

The theory of intrapersonal conflict was subsequently developed in the works of representatives of humanistic psychology. One of the leaders in this direction is an American psychologist Carl Rogers(1902-1987). The fundamental component of personality structure, he believes, is “I -concept” - the individual’s idea of ​​himself, the image of his own “I”, formed in the process of interaction of the individual with the environment. Self-regulation of human behavior occurs on the basis of the “I-concept”.

But the “I-concept” often does not coincide with the idea of ideal “I”. There may be a mismatch between them. This dissonance (mismatch) between the “I-concept”, on the one hand, and the ideal “I”, on the other, acts as intrapersonal conflict, the consequence of which can be severe mental illness.

The concept of intrapersonal conflict by one of the leading representatives of humanistic psychology, the American psychologist, has gained wide popularity. Abraham Maslow(1908-1968). According to Maslow, the motivational structure of a person is formed by a number of hierarchically organized needs (see here).

The highest is the need for self-actualization, that is, for the realization of a person’s potentials, abilities and talents. It is expressed in the fact that a person strives to be who he can become. But he doesn’t always succeed. Self-actualization as an ability may be present in most people, but only in a minority is it accomplished and realized. This gap between the desire for self-actualization and the actual result and underlies intrapersonal conflict.

Another very popular theory of intrapersonal conflict today was developed by an Austrian psychologist and psychiatrist. Viktor Frankl(1905-1997), who created a new direction in psychotherapy - logotherapy(from the gr. logos - thought, mind and gr. therapeia - treatment). According to his definition, logotherapy “is concerned with the meaning human existence and the search for this meaning.”

According to Frankl's concept, the main driving force in the life of every person is his search for the meaning of life and the struggle for it. The lack of meaning in life gives rise to a state in a person that he calls an existential vacuum, or a feeling of aimlessness and emptiness. It is the existential vacuum that becomes the cause of intrapersonal conflict, which subsequently leads to “noogenic neuroses” (from the gr. noos - meaning).

According to the author of the theory, intrapersonal conflict in the form of noogenic neurosis arises due to spiritual problems and is caused by a disorder of the “spiritual core of personality,” which contains the meanings and values ​​of human existence, which form the basis of individual behavior. Thus, noogenic neurosis is a disorder caused by an existential vacuum, a person’s lack of meaning in life.

It is the existential vacuum, the feeling of purposelessness and emptiness of existence that gives rise at every step to the existential frustration of the individual, most often manifested in boredom and apathy. Boredom is evidence of a lack of meaning in life, meaning-forming values, and this is already serious. Because finding the meaning of life is much more difficult and more important than wealth. In addition, need, for example, pushes a person to action and helps get rid of neuroses, while boredom associated with an existential vacuum, on the contrary, dooms him to inactivity and thereby contributes to the development of a psychological disorder.

Among the domestic scientists who made a significant contribution to the development of the problem under consideration, one should name A. N. Leontyeva(1903-1979), who with his theory about the role of objective activity in the formation of personality, he did a lot for understanding intrapersonal conflict.

According to his theory, the content and essence of intrapersonal conflict are determined by the nature of the structure of the personality itself. This structure, in turn, is caused by the contradictory relationships into which a person enters while carrying out various types of his activities. One of the most important characteristics The internal structure of the personality is that any person, even if he has a leading motive of behavior and a main goal in life, does not necessarily live only by one goal or motive. The motivational sphere of a person, according to A. N. Leontyev, even in its highest development, never resembles a frozen pyramid. Figuratively speaking, the motivational sphere of the individual is always multi-vertex.

The contradictory interaction of these “peaks” of the motivational sphere, various motives of the individual, forms an intrapersonal conflict.

Consequently, intrapersonal conflict, naturally inherent in the internal structure of the personality, is a normal phenomenon. Every personality has internal contradictions and struggle between different aspirations. Usually this struggle takes place within normal limits and does not disturb the harmony of the individual. “After all, a harmonious personality is not at all a person who does not know any internal struggle" But sometimes this struggle becomes the main thing that determines a person’s behavior and entire lifestyle. It is then that the consequences become an unhappy personality and an unfulfilled fate.

These are the causes of intrapersonal conflict. Definition of intrapersonal conflict: intrapersonal conflict is a state of personality structure when there are simultaneously contradictory and mutually exclusive motives, value orientations and goals with which it this moment unable to cope, i.e. develop behavioral priorities based on them.

You can say it another way: intrapersonal conflict is a state of the internal structure of a personality, characterized by the confrontation of its elements.

Thus, the following properties of intrapersonal conflict can be distinguished:

1) intrapersonal conflict appears as a result of the interaction of elements of the internal structure of the personality;

2) the parties to an intrapersonal conflict are diverse and contradictory interests, goals, motives and desires simultaneously existing in the personality structure;

3) intrapersonal conflict arises only when the forces acting on the personality are equivalent. Otherwise, a person simply chooses the lesser of two evils, the greater of two goods, and prefers reward to punishment;

4) any internal conflict is accompanied by negative emotions;

5) the basis of any intrapersonal conflict is a situation characterized by:

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Intrapersonal conflict- This is a difficult to resolve contradiction that occurs within the individual. An intrapersonal psychological conflict is experienced by an individual as a serious problem of psychological content that requires prompt resolution. This type of confrontation can simultaneously speed up the process of self-development, forcing the individual to mobilize his own potential, and harm the individual, slowing down the process of self-knowledge and driving self-affirmation into a dead end. Intrapersonal conflict arises in conditions when interests, drives, and needs of equal importance and opposite in direction collide in the human mind.

The concept of intrapersonal conflict

Internal confrontation of a person is a confrontation that arises within the psyche of a person, which is a clash of contradictory, often oppositely directed motives.

This type of confrontation has a number of specific features. Features of intrapersonal conflict:

• unusual structure of the conflict (intrapersonal confrontation does not have subjects of interaction represented by individuals or groups of people);
• latency, which consists in the difficulty of identifying internal contradiction, since often the individual does not realize that he is in a state of confrontation, he can also hide his own state under a mask or active activity;
• specificity of forms of manifestation and course, since internal confrontation occurs in the form of complex experiences and is accompanied by: depressive states, stress.

The problem of intrapersonal conflict was most actively developed in Western psychological science. Its scientific basis is inextricably linked with the founder of psychoanalytic theory, S. Freud.

All approaches and concepts of intrapersonal conflict are determined by the specific understanding of the content and essence of personality. Therefore, starting from the understandings of personality that have developed in different psychological schools, we can distinguish several main approaches to considering internal confrontation.

Freud provided evidence of the biopsychological and biosocial content of intrapersonal confrontation. In essence human psyche contradictory. Her work is associated with constant tension and overcoming the conflict that arises between biological desires and sociocultural foundations, between unconscious contents and consciousness. It is precisely in contradiction and constant confrontation that the whole essence of intrapersonal confrontation lies, according to Freud’s concept.

The described concept was further developed in the works of its adherents: K. Jung and K. Horney.

German psychologist K. Lewin put forward his own concept of intrapersonal conflict called “field theory,” according to which the inner world of an individual simultaneously falls under the influence of polarly directed forces. A person has to choose from them. Both such forces can be positive or negative, and one of them can be negative and the other positive. K. Levin considered the main conditions for the emergence of conflict to be parity and equal importance of such forces for the individual.

K. Rogers believed that the emergence of internal conflict is due to the discrepancy between the subject’s self-image and his understanding of the ideal “I”. He was convinced that such a discrepancy could provoke serious mental disorders.

The concept of intrapersonal confrontation, developed by A. Maslow, is very popular. He argued that the structure is based on a hierarchy of needs, the highest of which is the need for. Hence, the main reason for the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts lies in the gap between the desire for self-realization and the achieved result.

Among the Soviet psychologists who made a significant contribution to the development of theories of confrontation, one can highlight the concepts of intrapersonal conflict by A. Luria, V. Merlin, F. Vasilyuk and A. Leontiev.

Luria considered intrapersonal confrontation as a collision of two oppositely directed, but equal in strength, tendencies. V. Merlin - as a consequence of dissatisfaction with deep, actual personal motives and relationships. F. Vasilyuk - as a confrontation between two internal motives, reflected in the consciousness of an individual’s personality as independent opposing values.

The problem of intrapersonal conflict was considered by Leontyev as a completely normal phenomenon. He believed that internal confrontation is inherent in the personality structure. Every personality is contradictory in its structure. Often, the resolution of such contradictions occurs in the simplest variations and does not lead to the emergence of an intrapersonal conflict. Sometimes conflict resolution goes beyond the simplest forms, becoming the main thing. The consequence of this is intrapersonal confrontation. He believed that internal conflict is the result of a struggle between individual motivational courses ranked in the hierarchy.

A. Adler considered the basis for the emergence of internal conflicts to be the “inferiority complex” that arises in childhood under the pressure of an unfavorable social environment. In addition, Adler also identified the main methods for resolving internal confrontation.

E. Fromm, explaining intrapersonal confrontation, proposed the theory of “existential dichotomy.” His concept stated that the causes of internal conflicts lie in the dichotomous nature of the individual, which is revealed in the problems of existence: the problem of the limitations of human life, life and death, etc.

E. Erikson in his own concept of the stages of psychosocial personality formation, putting forward the idea that each age stage is marked by a favorable or unfavorable overcoming of a crisis event.

With a successful exit, positive personal development occurs, its transition to the next life period with useful prerequisites for its favorable overcoming. If there is an unsuccessful exit from a crisis situation, the individual moves into a new period of his own life with the complexes of the previous stage. Erikson believed that it is practically impossible to go through all stages of development safely, therefore each individual develops the prerequisites for the emergence of intrapersonal confrontation.

Causes of intrapersonal conflict

Intrapersonal psychological conflict has three types of causes that provoke its occurrence:

• internal, that is, reasons hidden in the contradictions of the individual;
• external factors determined by the status of the individual in society;
• external factors determined by the status of the individual in a certain social group.

All of these types of reasons are interrelated, and their differentiation is considered rather arbitrary. For example, internal factors that cause confrontation are the result of the individual’s interaction with the group and society, and do not appear out of nowhere.

The internal conditions for the emergence of intrapersonal confrontation are rooted in the opposition of various motives of the individual, in the inconsistency of its internal structure. A person is more susceptible to internal conflicts when his inner world is complex, his feelings of value and the ability to self-analysis are developed.

Intrapersonal conflict arises in the presence of the following contradictions:

• between social norm and need;
• mismatch of needs, motives, interests;
• confrontation of social roles (intrapersonal conflict example: it is necessary to fulfill an urgent order at work and at the same time the child should be taken to training);
• the contradiction of sociocultural values ​​and foundations, for example, it is necessary to combine the duty of defending the Motherland during war and the Christian commandment “thou shalt not kill.”

For a conflict to arise within a person, these contradictions must have a deep meaning for the individual, otherwise he will not attach importance to them. In addition, different aspects of contradictions must be equal in terms of the intensity of their own impact on the individual. Otherwise, an individual will choose the greater and the lesser of two goods—of “two evils.” In this case, internal confrontation will not arise.

External factors that provoke the emergence of intrapersonal confrontation are determined by: personal status in the group, organization and society.

The reasons determined by the position of an individual in a certain group are quite diverse, but they are united by the impossibility of satisfying various important motives and needs that have significance and deep meaning for the individual in a particular situation. From here we can distinguish four variations of situations that provoke the emergence of intrapersonal conflict:

• physical obstacles that prevent the satisfaction of basic needs (intrapersonal conflict example: a prisoner whose cell does not allow free movement);
• the absence of an object that is needed to satisfy a felt need (for example, a person dreams of a cup of coffee in a foreign city, but it’s too early and all the cafeterias are closed);
• biological barriers (individuals with physical defects or mental retardation, in whom the obstacle is nested in the human body itself);
• social circumstances are the main root cause of most intrapersonal conflicts.

At the organizational level, the reasons that provoke the manifestation of intrapersonal conflict can be represented by the following types of contradictions:

• between excessive responsibility and limited rights for its implementation (the person was transferred to a leadership position, the functions were expanded, but the rights remained the same);
• between poor working conditions and strict job requirements;
• between two incompatible tasks or tasks;
• between the strictly established framework of the task and the vaguely prescribed mechanism for its implementation;
• between the requirements of the profession, traditions, norms established in the company and individual needs or values;
• between the desire for creative self-realization, self-affirmation, career and the potential opportunities for achieving this within the organization;
• confrontation caused by contradictory social roles;
• between the desire for profit and moral values.

External factors determined by personal status in society are associated with discrepancies that arise at the level of the social macrosystem and lie in the nature of the social system, the structure of society, and political and economic life.

Types of intrapersonal conflicts

K. Levin proposed a classification of internal confrontation by type. He identified 4 types, namely equivalent (first type), vital (second), ambivalent (third) and frustrating (fourth).

Equivalent type– confrontation arises when a subject needs to perform two or more functions that are significant to him. Here, the usual model for resolving a contradiction will be a compromise, that is, partial substitution.

A vital type of conflict is observed when a subject has to make decisions that are equally unattractive to him.

Ambivalent type– a clash occurs when similar actions and results attract and repel in equal measure.

Frustrating type. Features of an intrapersonal conflict of a frustrating type are disapproval by society, divergence from accepted norms and foundations, the desired result and, accordingly, the actions necessary to achieve what is desired.

In addition to the above systematization, there is a classification, the basis of which is the value-motivational sphere of the individual.

A motivational conflict occurs when two equally positive tendencies and unconscious aspirations come into conflict. An example of this type of confrontation is “Buridan’s donkey.”

Moral contradiction or normative conflict arises from discrepancies between aspirations and duty, personal attachments and moral attitudes.

The collision of an individual's desires with reality, which blocks their satisfaction, provokes the emergence of a conflict of unfulfilled desires. For example, it appears when a subject, due to physical imperfection, cannot fulfill his desire.

Role intrapersonal conflict is anxiety caused by the inability to simultaneously “play” several roles. It also occurs as a result of discrepancies in understanding the requirements for an individual to fulfill one role.

An adaptation conflict is characterized by the presence of two meanings: in a broad sense, it is a contradiction caused by an imbalance between the individual and the surrounding reality; in a narrow sense, it is a collision caused by a violation of the social or professional adaptation process.

The conflict of inadequate self-esteem arises as a result of the discrepancy between personal aspirations and assessment of one’s own potential.

Resolving intrapersonal conflict

According to the beliefs of A. Adler, the development of an individual’s character occurs before the age of five. At this stage, the baby feels the impact of many unfavorable factors that give rise to an inferiority complex. IN later life this complex has a significant impact on personality and intrapersonal conflict.

Adler described not only the mechanisms that explain the origin and manifestation of intrapersonal conflict, but also revealed ways to overcome such internal contradictions (compensation for an inferiority complex). He identified two such methods. The first is to develop social feeling and interest. Because ultimately, a developed social sense manifests itself in the professional sphere and adequate interpersonal relationships. An individual may also develop an “underdeveloped” social feeling, which has various negative forms of intrapersonal conflict: alcoholism, crime, etc. The second is to stimulate one’s own potential and achieve superiority over the environment. It can have the following forms of manifestation: adequate compensation (coincidence of the content of social interests with superiority), overcompensation (hypertrophied development of one particular ability) and imaginary compensation (illness, prevailing circumstances or other factors beyond the control of the individual compensate for the inferiority complex).

M. Deutsche, the founder of the motivational approach to interpersonal conflict, identified ways to overcome intrapersonal confrontation, starting from the specifics of their “spheres of reality”, to which he attributed:

• an objective situation of confrontation, which is the foundation of contradiction;
• conflict behavior, which is a way of interaction between subjects of conflict confrontation that arises when realizing a conflict situation.

Ways to overcome internal confrontation can be open or latent.

Open paths require:

• individual decision making;
• cessation of doubts;
• fixation on solving the problem that has arisen.

Latent forms of intrapersonal conflict include:

• simulation, torment, ;
• sublimation (transition of mental energy to other areas of functioning);
• compensation (replenishment of what was lost through the acquisition of other goals and, accordingly, results);
• escape from reality (fantasizing, daydreaming);
• nomadism (change of professional sphere, place of residence);
• rationalization (self-justification using logical conclusions, targeted selection of arguments);
• idealization (separation from reality, abstraction);
• regression (suppression of desires, recourse to primitive behavioral forms, avoidance of responsibility);
• euphoria (feigned joy, joyful state);
• differentiation (mental separation of thoughts from the author);
• projection (the desire to free oneself from negative qualities by attributing them to another).

Analyzing personality and intrapersonal conflict, understanding the psychological problems of the emergence and overcoming of conflicts is necessary for the further successful development of communication skills, competent resolution of situations of confrontation in interpersonal interaction and group communication.

Consequences of intrapersonal conflicts

It is believed that intrapersonal conflict is an inseparable element in the formation of the individual’s psyche. Therefore, the consequences of internal confrontations can have a positive aspect (that is, be productive) for the individual as well as a negative one (that is, destroy personal structures).

A confrontation is considered positive if it has the maximum development of opposing structures and is characterized by minimal personal costs for its resolution. One of the tools for harmonizing personal development is constructively overcome intrapersonal confrontation. The subject is able to recognize his personality only by resolving internal confrontation and intrapersonal conflicts.

Intrapersonal confrontation can help develop adequate, which, in turn, contributes to personal self-realization and self-knowledge.

Internal conflicts that aggravate splitting of personality, turn into crises, or contribute to the formation of reactions of a neurotic nature are considered destructive or negative.

Acute internal confrontations often lead to the destruction of existing interpersonal interactions at work or family relationships. As a rule, they become causes of increased anxiety, restlessness, and anxiety during communicative interaction. Long-term intrapersonal confrontation hides a threat to the effectiveness of activities.

In addition, intrapersonal confrontations are characterized by a tendency to develop into neurotic conflicts. Anxieties inherent in conflicts can transform into a source of illness if they begin to occupy a central place in the system of personal relationships.