Conflict (Psychology)

A two (process) by two (relationship) by two (issue) design was implemented in order to investigate the effects of the process used to deal with a conflict, the relationship of those involved in the conflict, and the issue that the conflict is centered around. Subjects read one of eight different scenario types and rated them on their satisfaction with the process used, the relationship of those involved in the conflict, and the outcome of the conflict. It was predicted that a three-way interaction between the independent variables would occur. Support for the predictions was found. Results are discussed in light of past interpersonal and organizational literature.

This thesis applies Higgins (1997) Regulatory Focus Theory to the study of conflict by exploring the relationship between power and promotion vs. prevention orientation. After considering the earlier work of Keltner, Gruenfeld & Anderson (2003) that established the considerable effect that power has on approach and avoidance behaviors, the present research shows that this link also applies to regulatory focus. In this study, participants had their sense of power experimentally manipulated by a set of vignettes and then answered follow-up questions to determine what effect this had on their regulatory focus orientation. Results indicated that high power is associated with a promotion focus, while low power, a prevention focus. The implication of these findings were discussed and were integrated with the work of Cesario, Higgins & Scholer (2008) on regulatory fit and persuasion to create a novel strategy for conflict resolution.

Evidence suggests that self-reports of the frequency of an event, the most common way of measuring rates of conflict, are an unreliable source of data and that minor changes in question format can result in major changes in the results obtained (Bless, Bohner, Hild & Schwarz 1992; Schwarz, 1991; Schwarz, 1999; Winkielman, Knauper & Schwarz, 1998). In the conflict literature, different studies report different rates of conflict and different associations between conflict frequency and individual adjustment. Therefore, the present study examined how alterations in the measurement of conflict frequency affected how many conflicts participants reported and whether different measures of conflict were differentially associated with psychological adjustment outcomes (i.e., alcohol use, drug use, depression, delinquency, and interpersonal support). Response scales, reference periods, and question formats of conflict measures were manipulated to examine differences in conflict frequency reports. Results indicate that the changes in conflict measurement produce varied amounts of conflict across conditions and that changes in the measurement of conflict frequency change the associations between conflict frequency and adjustment outcomes.