Thanks wampus.
@Makan + BethS: I do make my characters question themselves (because who wouldn't stop to think about whether or not chasing after Unstable-Villain-Guy-Who-Has-A-Gun is a risk worth taking?
) so there is some internal conflict going on.
An example:
Should I save A or save B? If I save A, B will die. But if I save B, A will die. A has kids. B has parents. Damn it, I'll save B because B still has her whole future ahead of her. *later* Did I do the right thing? B is injured but he'll live. I think I did the right thing. Damn, A's kids are going to grow up without a mother. They know it's my fault. I chose to let her die. I think the eldest one hasn't forgiven me... she's definitely planning to do something spiteful. She wants payback... (plot continues, with eldest daughter's bitterness as a subplot. The eldest daughter will either grow and change or meet a bad fate depending on what I think works better emotionally)
What I don't do:
Should I have saved A instead? No. A lived most of her life; she got to fall in love and see her children, etc. but B hasn't had a chance to really live. And look how happy B is. Now I understand that I have to be strong. From now on I have to be ready to make tough decisions and not look back. But damn, A's kids are going to grow up with out a mother... (etc.)
(By that I mean the underlined bit, although I do give the internal conflict 'closure')
So I go for the emotional stuff but I don't make my main characters experience internal conflict just so that they can learn psychological lessons/change their worldview. I just want it all to feed into the intensity of their circumstances/situation.