n. the occurrence of mutually antagonistic or opposing forces, including events, behaviors, desires, attitudes, and emotions. This general term has more specific meanings within different areas of psychology. For example, in psychoanalytic theory, it refers to the opposition between incompatible instinctual impulses or between incompatible aspects of the mental structure (i.e., the id, ego, and superego) that may be a source of neurosis if it results in the use of defense mechanisms other than sublimation. In interpersonal relations, conflict denotes the disagreement, discord, and friction that occur when the actions or beliefs of one or more individuals are unacceptable to and resisted by others.