RECURRENT THEMES IN CONFLICT DIAGNOSIS II:Themes of Conflict Diagnosis

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Conflict Management HRM624

Lesson 8

RECURRENT THEMES IN CONFLICT DIAGNOSIS II

Quotation

"When one ceases from conflict, whether because he has won, because he has lost, or because he cares no

more for the game, the virtue passes out of him".(Charles Horton Cooley)

This lecture is the continuation of the previous lecture. In the last lecture we had discussed seven steps of

social behavior in detail. In this lecture we will try to understand the themes of the Conflict diagnosis by

applying the seven steps of social behavior.

Themes of Conflict Diagnosis

Following are the ten themes of conflict diagnosis

Behavior makes sense to actor

The interpretation of reality is subjective

Behavior during conflict is used to infer motivational state of others.

Interpretation of the behavior of others is largely unconscious and automatic

Misperceptions and misinterpretations are common during conflicts, and contribute to the

persistence of conflict

Pleasure principle

Expectations about results of one's actions are subjective

Actor's choice of response will be largely unconscious, subjective, based on diverse, often

contradictory motives

People in conflict often don't attain intended goals

10.

Interpersonal conflict tends to be self-fulfilling

Theme 1. Behavior makes sense to actor

An individual will behave in ways that make sense to him or her.

It is of no utility to write off someone's behavior as motivated by evil intent.

Theme 2. Interpretation of reality is subjective.

Each individual's interpretation of reality is subjective.

Theme 3. Conflict to Form Perception

Conflict participants use the conflict itself to make judgments about the motives of the other conflict

participants.

Mind reading is impossible, and the statements of others about their motives are usually not trusted.

Theme 4. Perceptual Biases are Unconscious

The influence of mental processes on the perception of reality in interpersonal conflict is largely

unconscious and automatic.

Because these processes are unconscious and automatic, errors of perception are not usually noted.

The faulty perceptions that arise during conflicts are usually thought as "obvious".

Theme 5. Perceptual Biases Feed Conflict

Expect interpersonal conflict to be misperception

Because the perceptual frames of reference of disputants usually differ, they usually attribute the wrong

motives to each other as they try to explain the behavior they are seeing using the wrong frame of reference.

Emotional reactions to misunderstood actions feed the conflict.

Defensive responses to misunderstood actions further confirm to the observer the negative perceptions.

Conflict Management HRM624

Theme 6.The Pleasure Principle

Each individual is motivated to improve his or her basic well-being, happiness, comfort, and pleasure and to

reduce discomfort, pain, and harm to the self.

This is an expression of the basic motivating force assumed by behaviorists and social learning theorists to

underlie human and animal behavioral responses.

Theme 7. Subjectivity of Expectations about Results

Expectations held by individuals, about the results that their behavior will produce, are subjective.

Theme 8. Complexity and Inconsistency of Motivation

Individual choices in a conflict are the result of reconciling among many diverse and contradictory

motivations. Motivation usually appears simpler to an observer than it does to the one taking action.

Motivation is often unconscious to the actor. This can create a situation in which hidden motives unduly

influence an actor because he or she is unaware of their existence and influence. It also can create a situation

in which an actor seems to be lying, but in fact lacks insight into his or her own behavior.

Interpersonal conflict creates predictable motivations. It can "beat" the other disputant.

Theme 9. Intended goals are not usual achieved

Individuals in a conflict frequently don't attain their intended goals.

Reasons for failure:

i. Misinterpretation of the situation

ii. Application of inappropriate conflict blueprint

iii. Application of unhelpful strategies for resolving conflict

iv. Failure to proficiently execute a strategy

v. Chance; the strategy had a known risk of failure

Theme 10. Self-fulfilling prophecy

The course of a conflict tends to be self-fulfilling. The dynamics of interpersonal conflict typically cause it

to evolve into what the disputants think it is.

Some ADR practitioners use this feature of conflict, subtly manipulating conflict participants into a frame

of mind conducive to resolution. A more constructive approach to handling the conflict often follows.

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