A situation where opposing demands are made on a person is called which?

• A. Role Performance
• B. Role Set
• C. Role Expectation
• D. Role Conflict

Answer: (D)

Opposing demands on a person arise when different expectations pull in incompatible directions, creating a clash between what is asked from the individual. This situation is role conflict. It matters because it specifically describes the tension that comes from having to meet incompatible duties or standards from multiple sources or roles, making it hard to satisfy all expectations at once. For example, a student who must juggle a heavy coursework load with a part-time job faces role conflict: each role demands time and energy that the other also needs, but not enough of both can be given to fully satisfy both.

Role performance is about how well someone carries out a given role, not about competing demands. Role set refers to all the roles associated with a single status, not the friction between conflicting expectations. Role expectation concerns beliefs about how someone in a role should act, which may influence behavior but doesn't necessarily involve an actual clash of demands.