Exam 8: Conflict Management Skills

Where does competition fit on the scales of concern for self and concern for others?

Heather and William are planning their son's first birthday party and are inviting both of their extended families to celebrate.Just as they dreaded, Heather's aunt Sonja declines her invitation because she dislikes some of William's relatives and refuses to be in the same room with them.Heather calls and tries to reason with Sonja, who remains steadfast; in fact, her suggestion is that they throw separate parties for each side of the family.Heather and William are left sad and tired that this rift continues to arise each time they try to arrange a family function.Heather and William seem to be facing which of the following myths about conflict?

Lyndi and Phil have been married for ten years, and still find themselves having a fairly heated argument about something at least once a week.They're worried that this means that their relationship is not as solid as it should be.They think that if they were truly committed to one another, they wouldn't have arguments and that they would figure out how to avoid arguing.It also worries them that even when they try to work things out when they're arguing, sometimes they just can't come to an agreement.Basically, they think that a good marriage doesn't have conflict; that conflict is negative and should be avoided at all costs.Explain to Lyndi and Phil which myths about conflict they seem to share and why they are myths.

Karah, a teenager, rolls her eyes and walks away when her mother orders her to clean her room.Karah and her mother are using one of the least satisfying approaches to conflict management:

Alexandra demands that Robert begin to talk to her in a different way than is natural for him.He does not want to cause more friction between the two of them, so he changes the subject and asks her if she has finished her paper that is due Monday in their anthropology class.In this case, Robert has engages in which of the following?

Power exists in all relationships and derives from the ability to meet a person's needs.

"But" messages often have the effect of diminishing the positive sentiment one expresses with "I" language.

Being empathic in a conflict can help you manage a conflict more effectively, and the strategies of writing down what you want to say and using "I" messages can help.

Identify and briefly describe the five stages of the conflict process.

An avoidance conflict management style reflects low concern for the self but high concern for the other person.