CONFLICT CONFLICT Chapter 12

What is Conflict  Definition: Disagreement, discord and friction that occur when the actions or beliefs of one or more members of the group are unacceptable to and are resisted by one or more of the other group members  Types  Intergroup conflict involves two or more groups  Intragroup conflict occurs within a group

Assumptions & Opinions of Conflict  Some people are always itching for a fight.  People who are aggressive are mentally unstable.  The human species is, by nature, aggressive.  Women are the gentler gender.  The best way to deal with conflict is to talk things over.

What is Conflict

Roots of Conflict  Conflict questions:  Who has won? (competition)  Who gets what? (resource distribution)  Who is in charge? (power struggles)  Who decides? (decisional conflict)  Who do I like? (personal conflict)

Conflict and Competition  Deutsch: Cooperation versus competition  Mixed-motive conflict and the prisoner’s dilemma game (PDG)  The norm of reciprocity  Social values orientation: cooperators, competitors, and individualists  Sex differences

Prisoner’s Dilemma Game Don Claire Doesn’t Confess Doesn’t confesses Confesses 1 years 0 years 10 years 5 year

Prisoner’s Dilemma Game Don Claire Choice A Choice B + $25 + $50 - $25 - $10

Sharing  Sharing: Social dilemmas  Groups as social dilemmas: Self-interest (self- serving) vs. group interest (group-serving)  Types – Social traps (commons dilemmas): exploiting shared resources – Public goods dilemmas: contributions to public goods (free-riding) – Fairness dilemmas: distributive vs. procedural justice, distribution norms – Responsibility dilemmas: egocentrism vs. sociocentrism

Sources of Conflict  Controlling: Power struggles  Deciding: Substantive vs. procedural conflicts  Liking and disliking: Personal conflicts  Attraction decreases conflict but disaffection (repulsion) increases conflict  Conflict and diversity in groups  Balance theory: members respond negatively when they disagree with those they like

Why Does Conflict Escalate  Uncertainty → Commitment  Perception → Misperception  Fundamental attribution error  Misperceptions of motives  Weak Tactics → Stronger Tactics  Trucking game experiment (Deutsch & Krauss, 1960)  Communication can increase conflict if used to threaten

 Reciprocity → Upward Conflict Spiral  Norm of reciprocity  Rough (overmatching) and light reciprocity (undermatching)  Few → Many (coalition formation)  Irritation → Anger (contagion) Why Does Conflict Escalate? (cont)

Conflict Management  Commitment → Negotiation  Finding solutions by negotiating  Types: soft, hard, and principled negotiators  Misperception → Understanding

 Strong Tactics → Cooperative Tactics  Types of tactics: Avoiding, yielding, fighting, & cooperating  Dimensions: negative-positive and active- passive  Upward → Downward Conflict Spirals  Axelrod’s Tit for Tat strategy (TFT)  Characteristics: provocable, reciprocal, forgiving Conflict Management

 Many → Few  Mediators: third party interventions  Types: inquisitorial, arbitration, moot  Anger → Composure Conflict Management

Does Resolved Conflict Lead to Improved Group Functioning?  Conflict is a natural consequence of joining a group  Cooperation promotes group unity, harmony, conflict undermines the group  Resolving non-personal conflicts may promote group functioning, but unclear

Conclusion… 1. Uncertainty → Commitment → Negotiation 2. Perception → Misperception → Understanding 3. Weak Tactics → Stronger Tactics → Cooperative Tactics 4. Reciprocity → Upward Conflict Spiral → Downward spiral 5. Few → Many (coalition formation) → Few 6. Irritation → Anger (contagion) → Composure