Frustration and conflict Flashcards
What is frustration?
Frustration is the feeling when one is prevented from reaching a goal. Such a condition is characterised by anxiety, stress and often aggression. Frustration can be caused by either internal or external causes.
Internally caused frustration occurs when one cannot get what one wants, either due to real or imagined deficiencies, such as lack of confidence or fear of failure. Another source of internal frustration is when one has two or more conflicting goals that interfere with one another
External frustration is caused by unavoidable situations over which the person has no control
What are the sources of frustration?
Environmental
Delay
Lack of resources
Losses
Failure
Helplessness
What is meant by environmental?
It consists of obstacles in the environment that block a goal.
What is meant by delay?
One of the biggest frustrations today is time delay such as being stuck in traffic, waiting to be served, waiting for a meeting to start due to people being late.
What is meant by lack of resources?
A lack of resources often culminates in extreme levels of frustration in the work environment. Lack of stationary, internet, technological tools, lab equipment can cause a great frustration in the workplace.
What is meant by losses?
This includes losing a loved one or a relationship ending as the person’s self-image suffers and he/she feels helpless.
What is meant by failure?
Feelings of guilt often accompany failure because people are unable to fulfil their goals or dreams of achievement.
What is meant by helplessness?
People often feel that their lives are meaningless, and they blame others, such as society, if they do not find fulfilment in life. This is a source of frustration that results in alienation and despair.
What is the main reaction to frustration?
People become offensive and often react aggressively and are inclined to making use of defence mechanisms.
People’s reactions differ from one another
What is aggression?
A motive for attacking and destruction behaviour.
What is workplace aggression?
Individuals who engage in workplace aggression with the intention of causing significant harm to their victims while minimizing the risk of facing retaliation or consequences.
What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis?
Frustration always leads to aggression
What is the General Aggression Model (GAM)?
That aggression is triggered by a wide range of stimuli. According to the GAM theory, a chain of events may ultimately lead to overt aggression that is often initiated
What are the two two major types of inputs for aggression?
Situational factors: Includes frustration, exposition to aggressive models (media), provocation from another person (insult) or even working in high temperatures.
Personal factors: These are traits that predispose (impulsive, irritable, low emotional regulation) certain individuals towards aggression.
What are defense mechanisms?
The human ego normally deals with anxiety or fear by means of rational methods.
If an individual does not have the physical ability to deal with anxiety, they make use, on an unconscious level, of irrational protection methods.
Defence mechanisms form a type of psychic ‘cushion’ or ‘emotional crutch’ for the ego so that it is protected against stimuli that result in anxiety: This cushion functions as a natural therapy within the person to reduce anxiety. In this way; the individual bans painful thoughts from his/her consciousness rather than dealing with them directly. The individual thus acquires a distorted image of reality. The process is mostly unconscious
