Ambivalence

To denote the dual and even mutually exclusive nature of feelings experienced by a person at the same time on the same occasion, in modern psychology and psychoanalysis there is the term ambivalence.

In the first decades of the 20th century, the definition of ambivalence in a narrower sense was used in psychiatry to refer to the dominant symptom of schizophrenia-unmotivated, contradictory behavior. And the authorship of this term, as well as the names of "schizophrenia", belongs to the Swiss psychiatrist E. Bleuler.

Later, thanks to his pupil K. Jung, who - in contrast to Z. Freud - sought to prove the unity of the conscious and the unconscious and their compensatory balancing in the "mechanism" of the psyche, ambivalence began to be understood more broadly. But now the emergence and coexistence in the human mind and subconscious of diametrically opposed (often conflicting) feelings, perceptions, desires or intentions in relation to one and the same object or subject are called ambivalence.

As specialists note, ambivalence is a very common subclinical condition. Moreover, given the original dual nature of the psyche (that is, the presence in it of a conscious and subconscious), situational ambivalence is inherent in almost everyone, for it is not without reason that in cases requiring choice and decisive action we speak of confusion of feelings, confusion and confusion of thoughts in the head. We are constantly in an internal conflict, and the moments when there is a sense of inner harmony or unity of purpose are relatively rare (and may be illusory).

The most vivid examples of ambivalence are manifested when there are conflicts between moral values, ideas or feelings, in particular between what we are aware of and what is outside our consciousness ("the worm of doubt" or "the inner voice whispers"), . Many thoughts come and go, but some get stuck in the subconscious of a person, and it is there that there is a whole pantheon of buried values, preferences, hidden motives (good and not very), likes and dislikes. As Freud said, this leapfrog of impulses in the back of our brain makes us both want or not want something.

By the way, it was Freud who formulated the ambivalence principle, the meaning of which is that all human emotions are initially of a dual character, and if sympathy and love win at a conscious level, then antipathy and hatred do not disappear, but hide in the depths of the subconscious. In "suitable cases" they rise from there, leading to inadequate reactions and unpredictable actions of a person.

But keep in mind: when the "leapfrog of impulses" occurs constantly, there is a symptom that may indicate a prolonged depression, a neurotic condition or the development of an obsessive-compulsive (obsessive-compulsive) personality disorder.

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Causes of the ambivalence

To date, the main causes of ambivalence are associated with the inability to make a choice (on the issue of choice, the existential philosophers are concentrated) and make decisions. From making informed decisions, health, well-being, relationships and the social status of the individual largely depend; a person who avoids decision-making is confronted with internal psycho-emotional conflicts that form ambivalence.

There is an opinion that ambivalence is often the result of a conflict of social values related to differences in culture, race, ethnicity, origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and state of health. Social constructions and perceived norms and values within the given society form contradictory feelings of many people.

But most psychologists see the reasons for ambivalence in people's insecurity, their subconscious fear of making a mistake and failing, emotional and intellectual immaturity.

Also, do not forget that the emergence of any feelings, ideas, desires or intentions is not always subject to logic. An important role is played by intuition and the same "inner voice" that is difficult to muffle.

Studies have revealed some neurobiological features of mediation of signals associated with the expression of emotions: in healthy people experiencing positive feelings, more active structures of the left hemisphere of the brain, and if the emotions are negative - the right. That is, from the point of view of neurophysiology, people are able to experience positive and negative affective states simultaneously.

The study of brain activity with MRI demonstrated participation in the ambivalence of the decision-making of cognitive and socially affective areas of the brain (in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, in the anterior and posterior cingulate of the cerebral cortex, in the islet zone, temporal lobes, temporomandibular joint). But these areas are differently related to subsequent processes, so it remains to be seen where the neural correlates of the affective components of ambivalence are.

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Forms

In the theory of psychology and the practice of psychotherapy, it is customary to distinguish certain types of ambivalence - depending on which spheres of personality interaction they most manifest.

Ambivalence of feelings or emotional ambivalence is characterized by a dual attitude toward one and the same subject or object, that is, the presence of simultaneously emerging, but incompatible feelings: benevolence and enmity, love and hatred, acceptance and rejection. Since most often such internal bipolarity of perception is the basis of human experiences, this type can be defined as ambivalence of experiences or amblytomy.

As a result, there can be a so-called ambivalence in a relationship: when one of the people around at a subconscious level constantly evokes opposite emotions in a person. And when a person really has a duality in a relationship, he can not get rid of the subconscious negativity, worrying even when their partner does something good. Most often this causes uncertainty and instability in partnerships, and is due to the fact that the polarity of feelings, as already mentioned above, exists initially and can provoke an intrapersonal conflict. He expresses himself in the inner struggle "yes" and "no", "I want" and "I do not want". The degree of awareness of this struggle affects the level of conflict between people, that is, when a person does not realize his state, he can not restrain himself in conflict situations.

Western psychotherapists have the notion of a pattern of chronic ambivalence: when a sense of helplessness and the desire to suppress a deep-seated negativity forces a person to take a defensive position, depriving him not only of managing his life, but also of his normal mental equilibrium (leading to hysteria or a state of depressive neurasthenia).

Children can develop ambivalence in attachment, combining love for parents and fears not to receive their approval. Read more below - in a separate section, Ambivalence in Attachment.

The condition in which a person concurrently receives opposing thoughts, while conflicting concepts and beliefs coexist in the mind, is defined as the ambivalence of thinking. This duality is considered to be the result of pathology in the formation of the ability to abstract thinking (dichotomy) and a sign of mental abnormality (in particular, paranoia or schizophrenia).

Ambivalence of consciousness (subjective or affective-cognitive) also refers to altered states of the psyche with a focus on disagreements between one's own beliefs and confrontations between evaluations of an event (judgments and personal experience) and objectively existing realities (or their generally known assessments). This cognitive impairment is present in psychoses and accompanied by delirium, unaccountable anxiety and fear of obsessive states.

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Ambivalence in attachment

In childhood, ambivalence in attachment (anxious-ambivalent attachment) can develop, if the attitude of parents to their children is contradictory and unpredictable, there is no warmth and confidence. The child receives less attention and attention, that is, is brought up in strict rules - in conditions of constant "emotional hunger". Psychologists say that in the formation of this type of ambivalence, the temperament of the child, the relationship of parents among themselves, the level of support for all generations of the family play an important role.

Many of the parents mistakenly perceive their desire to win the child's love with the actual love and concern for his well-being: they can manifest hyper-care in relation to the child, be focused on his appearance and achievement, unceremoniously invade his personal space. Growing up, people who have ambivalence in attachment in childhood are distinguished by increased self-criticism and low self-esteem; they are anxious and distrustful, they seek the approval of others, but this never relieves them of their self-doubt. And in their relationship there is excessive dependence on the partner and a constant concern that they can be rejected. On the basis of constant self-control and reflection on their attitude towards others, perfectionism and compulsive behavior (as a means of self-affirmation) can develop.

Ambivalent attachment disorder in childhood can be the basis for the development of such unsafe mental deviations as reactive attachment disorder (ICD-10 code - F94.1, F94.2), the formulation of obsessive ambivalence in this case is clinically incorrect.

Pathological ambivalence in the form of reactive attachment disorder (RRS) concerns social interaction and can take the form of violations of initiation or response to the majority of interpersonal contacts. The causes of the disorder are inattention and rough treatment of adults with a child from six months to three years old or frequent change of carers.

At the same time, inhibited and disinhibited forms of mental pathology are noted. So, it is the disinhibited form that can lead to the fact that grown-up children with RRS try to get attention and comfort from any adults, even absolutely unfamiliar, which makes them easy prey for perverts and criminal individuals.

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Examples of ambivalence

Many sources, referring to Z. Freud, give an example of ambivalence of feelings from the tragedy of Shakespeare. This is Othello's great love for Desdemona and the burning hatred that engulfed him because of the suspicion of adultery. What ended the story of the Venetian jealous, everyone knows.

Examples of ambivalence from real life we see when people who abuse alcohol understand that drinking is harmful, but they are unable to take measures to once and for all give up alcohol. From the position of psychotherapy, this condition can be qualified as an ambivalent attitude towards sobriety.

Or here is an example. A person wants to quit a job that he hates, but for which they pay well. This is a difficult question for any person, but people suffering from ambivalence, constant reflection on this dilemma, paralyzing doubt and suffering will almost completely drive depression or cause a state of neurosis.

Intellectual ambivalence refers to the inability or unwillingness to give an unambiguous answer and to form a certain inference - due to the lack of a logical or practical rationale for a person for a certain position. The main problem of intellectual ambivalence is that it (according to the theory of cognitive dissonance) is a prerequisite for the lack of clear leadership or orientation of actions. This uncertainty paralyzes the choice and decision-making, and ultimately manifests itself in a discrepancy between what a person thinks and how he behaves in reality. Experts call this state - the ambivalence of behavior, the duality of actions and actions, the ambivalence of motivation and will or ambition.

It should be noted that the term epistemological ambivalence (with Greek epistemics - knowledge) is not used in psychology. It has to do with the philosophy of knowledge - epistemology or epistemology. It is also known such a philosophical concept as epistemological dualism (duality of cognition).

A chemical ambivalence refers to the characteristics of the polarity of the carbon structures of organic molecules and their bonds in the process of chemical interaction.

Diagnostics of the ambivalence

Duality is rarely seen with the "naked eye" and is almost never recognized by the person experiencing it. Therefore, psychologists and psychiatrists offer patients to answer test questions.

There is an ambivalence test, developed by the American psychiatrist H. Kaplan (Helen Singer Kaplan) on the basis of a standard scale for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder; test of the attitude to conflict situations of Priest (Joseph Priester) and Petty (Richard E. Petty). A standardized test is not yet available, and the simplest test contains questions:

1. How do you feel about your mother?
2. What does your work matter to you?
3. How high do you rate yourself?
4. How do you feel about money?
5. When you are angry at someone you love, do you feel guilty?

Another test for ambivalence suggests answering such questions (each of which has several variants of answers - from "completely agree" to "completely disagree"):

1. I prefer not to show others what I feel in my heart.
2. Usually I discuss my problems with other people, it helps me to turn to them if necessary.
3. I do not feel comfortable speaking frankly with others
4. I'm afraid that other people can stop communicating with me.
5. I often worry that other people do not care about me.
6. Dependence on others does not cause me unpleasant feelings.

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Treatment of the ambivalence

It is difficult for people to realize the state of ambivalence, because this is a subconscious process. Studies have shown that certain personality traits can affect whether the correction of ambivalence is effective. To such qualities experts include a tolerant attitude toward ambiguity, sufficient level of intelligence and openness of character, as well as a desire to solve problems.

The need for correction arises when situational ambivalence is transformed into a pathological syndrome, causes difficulties in communication and leads to inadequate psychogenic reactions. Then a psychotherapist needs help.

Given that pronounced ambivalence is associated with negative affect and physiological arousal, medicated sedatives or antidepressant drugs may be required.

Psychologists recommend remembering that nothing is perfect, and that uncertainty and doubt are part of life. And also bear in mind that ambivalence can be a way of self-defense against negative experience. And that depression and anxiety reduce a person's ability to freely make decisions and thereby aggravate the problem.