A Phenomenological Investigation of the Experience of Ambivalence

Abstract

Ambivalence, broadly defined as feeling more than one emotion at a time, is thought to be a central aspect of human experience and to play an important role in a range of psychological processes. Ambivalence is experienced in close relationships, identity development, social and political attitudes, decision-making behavior, anxiety states, as well as in psychotherapeutic change. Eight undergraduate students participated in phenomenological interviews that were transcribed and served as the basis for the investigation. The primary purpose of this paper is to shed light on the meaning of the experience of ambivalence by explicating the organizational relationships of its constituent meanings. The paper will also clarify the relation of ambivalence to important psychological processes and developmental transitions during young adulthood.

Ambivalence in Organizations: A Multilevel Approach

“…Thus, Harrist (2006) finds the experience of ambivalence to be characterized by "disorientation," described as a sense of disequilibrium, confusion, apprehension, and loss of control, where it feels wrong to have more than one orientation toward an object.…”

“…Domination is thus characterized by a high focus on one orientation and a low focus on the other, and therefore it appears in two quadrants of Figure 2. Domination does not mean that all of the conflicting thoughts and feelings necessarily dissipate, only that the actor is able to choose one orientation-positive or negative thoughts/feelingsover the other (Harrist 2006). Similar to avoidance, given the apparent emphasis on defense mechanisms over coping mechanisms, domination is typically reactive rather than proactive.…”

“…Thus, commitment as a holistic action differs from compromise or domination where one orientation is diluted or discarded. Furthermore, by choosing to accept the opposition, the actor transforms what may have been outside his or her control-such as opposing normsinto something that is experienced as more controllable (Harrist 2006, Meyerson 2001. In short, an actor may not choose to be exposed to ambivalence but can choose how to respond to it-to accept that ambivalence as an essential element for commitment or trust.…”

Electronic medical record system avoidance in a turbulent environment

“…According to Ashforth et al, the extent to which an actor experiences opposing orientations increases that actor's ambivalence toward an object. Intense ambivalence is often characterized by a sense of disequilibrium, confusion, apprehension, and loss of control [31]. The more intense ambivalence becomes, the more the actor will be motivated to take action to reduce the discomfort [60].…”

Value Preferences of Teachers and their Attitudes towards Individuals with Disabilities

“…This term has long been in circulation in the psychological literature, especially in the context of psychoanalytic theories (Harrist, 2006). In the context of attitude theory, ambivalence is defined as "attitudes that contain both positive and negative elements" (Olson & Zanna, 1993, p. 123).…”