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The Agony of Ambivalence and Ways to Resolve It: Introducing the MAID Model

van Harreveld, Frenk, van der Pligt, Joop, de Liver, Yael N.·2009·Personality and Social Psychology Review

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Abstract

People are generally averse toward conflict between beliefs and/or feelings underlying their attitudes—that is, attitudinal ambivalence. This review integrates literature on attitudinal ambivalence with theories on decision making and coping strategies to gain a better understanding of when and how people deal with feelings of ambivalence. First it shows that ambivalence is experienced as being particularly unpleasant when the ambivalent attitude holder is confronted with the necessity to make a choice concerning the ambivalent attitude object; then, incongruent evaluative components of the attitude become accessible, and feelings of uncertainty about the potential outcomes arise, which may involve the anticipation of aversive emotions. Several coping strategies are employed when ambivalence is experienced as unpleasant. Emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies are discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the MAID (model of ambivalence-induced discomfort), which aims to describe the consequences of ambivalence.

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See all 344

Authors: van Harreveld, F., van der Pligt, J., & de Liver, Y. N.
Affiliations: University of Amsterdam (NL)
Utrecht University (NL)
Corresponding author: van Harreveld, Frenk
ORCID: van Harreveld, Frenk
Venue: Personality and Social Psychology Review
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2009-02
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 45-61
ISSN: 1088-8683 (ISSN-L)
1532-7957
DOI: 10.1177/1088868308324518
OpenAlex: W1924470037
Cited by: 343
References: 134
Citations by year: 2026: 29 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 13
FWCI: 4.86
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Personality and Social Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords: attitudinal ambivalence, decision-making, coping strategies, emotion-focused coping, problem-focused coping, uncertainty, aversive emotions
MeSH terms: Adaptation, Psychological, Attitude, Choice Behavior, Cognitive Dissonance, Conflict, Psychological, Decision Making, Emotions, Humans, Models, Psychological, Problem Solving

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The Agony of Ambivalence and Ways to Resolve It: Introducing the MAID Model

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