Approach and Avoidance Conflict:

Approach and avoidance conflict exists when reducing one motivating stimulus involves increasing another–demanding an adjustment. Conflicts involving intense threat or fear are not easily solved but bring out feelings of being helpless and anxious (ways to resolve are more directed to relieving anxiety than to finding solutions to the problem). Conflicts are not all equally severe, for example:

• Approach-approach conflict is between two desired gratifications (choosing between two appealing careers may lead to some vacillation but rarely causes distress).
• Avoidance-avoidance conflict between two dangers/threats (hating a job but fearing getting another) or between need/fear (child depends on but fears mother) are more disturbing.