Lecture 3

Conflict Theories
Conflict Theories
Conflict theories generated by researchers in the area of
psychology have focused on what individuals bring to the
conflict situation, and how that impacts the conflict
process.
Psychodynamic theory
People experience conflict because of their intrapersonal
states.
Nonsubstantive conflict
A need to release tension unrelated to the other person in
the situation and misplaced or displaced conflict in
which the conflict is acted out with the wrong person or
over the wrong issue are largely psychodynamic in origin.

Personality structure
. !d " pleasure principle
Primitive, irrational and fantasy oriented. The source of instinctual
energy is concerned with immediate gratification.
#. $go " Reality principle
The rational part of the psyche that deals with reality by controlling
the id, while also satisfying the superego.
3. %uperego & Idealistic principle
The moral component of personality that incorporates social standards
for morality.The superego has # parts'
i) Conscience " arises from experience of being punished for
unacceptable behavior. (prohibitions, based on punishment)
ii) Ego ideal " ideal behaviors, based on rewards
According to *reud, the id, ego and superego are distributed across 3
levels of awareness
To reduce anxiety of the ego in dealing with id desires and superego
demands, the ego engages in several defense mechanism.
+efense mechanism " unconscious reactions that protect a person from
painful emotions such as anxiety and guilt.
!ntrapsychic conflict anxiety reliance on defense
(id, ego, superego) mechanism
+isplacement & ,edirect an impulse away from the person who
prompts it toward a safe substitute. $.g., -elling at your friend
after being critici.ed by your lecturer.

Concerned with how people interpret events and how

this relates to their thin/ing and behavior.

This theory assumes that people try to determine why

people do what they do.

People were li/e amateur scientist, trying to

understand other people0s behavior by piecing
together info until they arrived at a reasonable
explanation or cause.
Attribution theory
This theory states that people act as they do in conflict situations
because of the conclusions they draw about the other.
Attribution theory accounts for unreal conflicts, when we are
assuming we are in conflict due to insufficient information or
because of faulty conclusions we have drawn about the other
person0s behavior.
Attributions affect the way people define conflicts, interpret the
other0s behavior, and choose strategies to achieve their goals
effectively within conflict situations.
Two types of attributions
. Internal attribution
The influence that a person is behaving in a certain way
because of something about the person (e.g., attitude,
character, personality).
#. External attribution
The influence that a person is behaving in a certain way
because of something about the situation he or she is in
(e.g., environment).
ur thou!hts about others
Attribution is sub1ect to several forms of error and bias.
"ud!in! the behavior of others
#. The fundamental attribution error $%AE&
,eflects our tendency to overestimate internal (traits 2 abilities),
personality influences and underestimate external influences when
1udging the behavior of others.
#. Actor observer effect $%lip side of %AE&
Attribute others0 actions to stable characteristic, but we attribute our
own actions to the momentary characteristic of the situation.
"ud!in! our own behavior
'. (elf)servin! bias
3ccurs when we attempt to find reasons for our own behavior, as we
tend to ta/e undue credit for positive outcomes and attribute negative
outcomes to external causes.
*. (elf)ob+ectification
The tendency to see oneself primarily as an ob1ect in others0 eyes.
Attribution theory
People are most li/ely to perceive the other as aggressive and
respond with anger and revenge when three conditions are met.
#. The action the other person
Person A cannot act in the way A wishes because of 40s actions.
#. The action ta,en by the other appears to have been done
intentionally to do harm.
3. The action ta,en by the other is seen as abnormal or ille!itimate.
Anger and revenge are more li/ely if A sees 40s action as unusual or
strange.
-elationship theories
These theories consider of how the relationship between
the people involved in a conflict affects the way the
conflict is enacted and resolved.
. %ocial $xchange Theory (5elly 2 Thibault)
#. 6ame Theory
3. %ystem Theory
7. %tructural Theory
(ocial Exchan!e Theory $.elly / Thibault&

This theory suggests that social behavior is the result of

an exchange process.

Conflict arises when one person in the relationship feels

that the outcomes are too low and perceives that the other
will resist any attempt to raise the outcomes.

People evaluate their interpersonal relationships in terms

of their value, which is created by the costs and rewards
associated with the relationship.

People enter into conflict when they believe that the

rewards they are receiving are too little in comparison
with the costs they must pay in the relationship.
(ocial Exchan!e Theory $.elly / Thibault&

0orth 1 rewards 2 costs

!f worth is positive, it is a positive relationship. !n contrast, if it

is negative indicates a negative relationship.

-eward 2 the elements of a relationship that have positive value

(a sense of acceptance, social support and companionship).

Costs) the elements of a relationship that have negative value

(time, money, effort etc.)

People assess the costs and rewards associated with their

relationships through what is termed the comparison level $C3&
and the comparison level of alternatives $C3
alt
&.
(ocial Exchan!e Theory $.elly / Thibault&
Two comparison standards to differentiate between relationship
satisfaction and relationship stability.
#. Comparison 3evel ) a standard representing what people feel
they should receive in the way of rewards and costs from a
particular relationship. An individual8s comparison level can be
considered the standard by which an outcome seems to satisfy the
individual
$.g., !f your CL for clerical employment is an hourly wage of 9:,
you would be satisfied wor/ing for 9; an hour but feel exploited if
you received only 9< for your labor.
(ocial Exchan!e Theory $.elly / Thibault&
4. Comparison 3evel for Alternative
%econd standard use to evaluate the outcomes we receive.
=hen using this evaluation tool, an individual will consider other
alternative payoffs or rewards outside of the current relationship or
exchange.
CLalt provides a measure of stability rather than satisfaction. !f
people see no alternative and fear being alone more than being in the
relationship, %ocial $xchange Theory predicts they will stay.
5ame Theory
A study of strategic decision ma/ing " mainly used in
economics, political science and psychology

6ames a conflict situation in which people must ma/e

choices while the other person is also ma/ing choices
and in which both parties /now that the combination
of choices will determine the outcomes.
6ame theory has four primary assumptions
. Interdependence

The outcomes achieved by one person depend on one0s own choices as well
as the choices of other person.
#. 6uantification

!t is possible actually to calculate the value of the positive or negative

outcomes that result from choices within the situation.
3. Exhaustiveness

$very possible outcome that could result from any choice in the situation is
/nown to those within the situation.
7. 7aximi8ation

$ach party see/s to act in such a way to gain the best possible rewards for its
own interest.

Considerable conflict research has used a game

theory approach most of it using the Prisoner0s
+ilemma (P+) paradigm.

$.g., two people are caught burglari.ing in building

and are brought separately to police station.
Person A Person 4
Prisoner9s :ilemma paradi!m

Two people are caught burglari.ing a building and are brought

separately to the police station. !f both of them remain silent,
they will both go free, but there is an incentive to spea/.

!f only one confesses, the one confessing will receive a

reward and go free and the other will go to 1ail.

If both confess, they both will !o to +ail. !n order to benefit,

they must trust each other to cooperate and act in each
other9s best interest. >owever, to cooperate first (by
remaining silent), if the other chooses not to cooperate will
result in the worst outcome for the person acting first.

This is called a mixed motive situation because those involved

have incentives to both cooperate and compete.
Game Theory
Person A
Silent Confess
Silent
Person B

confess
Prisoners dilemma matrix ofers a good way
to study confict between eole!
Short jail
term
Short jail term
goes free
Goes to jail
goes to jail

Goes free
life
sentence
Life sentence
(ystem Theory
The basic rule of the %ystem theory is that if we intend to
understand a phenomenon, expression or conflict, we
must loo, at it within the context of the whole circuits
being relevant to that phenomenon (e.g., a family system).
Conflict occurs within relationships system because a
person in that relationship needs to adapt to demands of
the other person or to demands in the environment
surrounding the relationship. Conflict participants always
identify the other as the cause while portraying the self
as innocent.
(ystem Theory
All conflicts occur in a system of interpersonal
relationships, in a specific scene, and with certain actors,
some of which may be main actors and others supporting
ones.
Theory that attempts to explain conflict as product of the tension
that arises when groups must compete for scarce resources. This
theory built based on observations of societies.

%tructural functional theory holds that society is best understood as
a complex system with various interdependent parts that wor/
together to increase stability.
!t ta/es the view that society consists of parts (e.g., police,
hospitals, schools, and farms), each of which have their own
functions and wor/ together to promote social stability.
Important elements to enhance relationships
Trust
The expectation that one0s partner can be relied on to behave in a
benevolent manner and be responsive to one0s needs (>olmes, ;:;)
Three Components of Trust;

Predictability (belief that 30s behaviour is consistent)

+ependability (belief that 3 is honest?reliable?nice)

*aith (belief that 3 is intrinsically motivated to be caring and responsive)

<ncertainty

Conflict situation occurs when we have insufficient information to understand

another motives, goal or behaviors or what we do not understand how another is
responding to us.
A -elational theory of power
Power is the potential or ability to influence decisions and control
resources. Power is the ability to get someone to do something she
or he would not otherwise do. This does not necessarily mean that
leaders can force their subordinates to do things.
Power is not owned by an individual. The particular relationship
creates power distribution.
PA= 1 :=A
The power of A over 4 is e@ual to the dependence that 4 has on A.
P=A 1 :A=
The power of 4 over A is e@ual to the dependence that A has on 4.
*ive dimensions of power
*rench and ,aven (;A;)
Legitimate power & 7y position allows me to as, you.
B
ma/e polite, clear re@uests, explain the reasons for a re@uest
,eward Power & >ou will benefit
B
offer desirable rewards, offer fair and ethical rewards (avoiding
favoritism), explain criteria for giving rewards and provide rewards
as promised.
Coercive Power " comply or you will be punished
B
!nform target of rules and penalties, give ample prior warnings and
try to understand the situation before punishing. ,emain calm,
helpful.
,eferent power. 2 =ecause I am a !ood role model
This power is often regarded as admiration, or charm. The
responsibility involved is heavy and the power easily lost,
but when combined with other forms of power it can be
very useful.
$xpert power 2 because I ,now more than you
The ability to administer to another information,
/nowledge or expertise (e.g., doctors, lawyers).
=e learn three ma1or areas of theoretical development in the
study of conflictC
.Theories emphasi.ing the role of the individual participants in
the conflict
#. Theories emphasi.ing the role of the relationship between those
in conflict.
3.Theories emphasi.ing the system and structure of conflict.
Dnderstanding the assumptions of these theories can help us to
better understand our behavior.
Tutorial Task
=hat conflicts can you identify that were motivated by a
desire to increase your rewards or to decrease your costs
in a relationshipE
=ere you successfulE =hy or why notE
Are there situations in your life in which you are more
li/ely to displace your anger or conflict with the other
person than to deal with it directlyE
=hat characteri.es those situationsE
Attribution theory
=hen have false attribution you made about another exacerbated a
conflict situationE >ave there been times ma/ing accurate attributions
about the other has helped youE
%elect either internal attributions or external attributions
. !f you say that Fhe did this to me because he wants to get even0, are you
ma/ing an internal or an external attribution about his retaliatory behaviorE
a. internal b. external
#. !f you say Fhe made the test too hard, so ! flun/ed it0, are you ma/ing an
internal or an external attributions about your test gradeE
a. internal b. external

3. !f you say F!0ve been in a slump, which is why ! am not doing well these
daysE Are you ma/ing an internal or an external attribution about your
behaviorE
a. internal b. external