Write a 2–3-page article on interpersonal conflict. Define conflict and explain how communication behaviors and individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict. Recommend a strategy for resolving interpersonal conflict.

Overview

Write a 2–3-page article on interpersonal conflict. Define conflict and explain how communication behaviors and individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict. Recommend a strategy for resolving interpersonal conflict.

Conflict is part of our daily lives. Preparing yourself with the needed skills to handle conflict enhances your interpersonal skills and relationships. To understand conflict, you must begin by knowing what it is and how it affects your life.

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course criteria:

• • Apply theoretical perspectives on conflict.

• • • Define conflict.
    • Describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.
  • Apply appropriate strategies to reduce or resolve conflicts.

• • • Recommend a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict.
  • Analyze the impact of conflict on relationship building in face-to-face, virtual, cyber, and group communication.

• • • Explain how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships.
    • Explain how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.
  • Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.

• • • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Context

What is conflict? Why does it occur? What can be done to prevent it, and—perhaps more importantly—what can we learn from conflict? How can we transform conflict situations from negative to positive?

Conflict arises due to varied perspectives, belief systems, and values. It is natural and common to disagree and to experience conflict. However, there are important differences between constructive and destructive conflict. One tool for examining destructive conflict is what Hocker and Wilmot (2018) describe as “the four horsemen” of destructive conflict—criticizing, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt (p. 22).

Communication behaviors also play a critical role in conflict. Krauss and Morsella describe four paradigms of communication (as cited in Coleman, Deutsch, & Marcus, 2014). These paradigms are encoding/decoding, intentionalist, perspective-talking, and dialogic.

References

Coleman, P., Deutsch, M., & Marcus, C. (2014). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

Hocker, J. L., & Wilmot, W. W. (2018). Interpersonal conflict (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Resources

Library Resources

• • Collisson, B. (2014). Failing to see eye to eye: The role of the self in conflict misperception. North American Journal of Psychology, 16(2), 193–200.
  • Ishii, K. (2010). Conflict management in online relationships. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 13(4), 365–370.
  • Yarnell, L. M., & Neff, K. D. (2013). Self-compassion, interpersonal conflict resolutions, and well-being. Self & Identity, 12(2), 146–159.

Bookstore Resources

• • Coleman, P., Deutsch, M., & Marcus, C. (2014). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

• • • Chapters 7, 10, 12, 17, and 33.
  • Hocker, J. L., & Wilmot, W. W. (2018). Interpersonal conflict (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

• • • Chapters 1, 6, and 8.

Assignment Instructions

Suppose you have been asked to write an article on interpersonal conflict for a local organization with which you are affiliated. You may choose any type of interpersonal conflict, such as between spouses, among family members, between members of a social group, or other, but your focus must be interpersonal conflict.

Preparation

Search the library and the Internet for scholarly, professional, or other appropriate resources that address the topic of interpersonal conflict. Keep in mind that Wikipedia is not considered an appropriate resource. You will need at least 3 resources to support your work in this assignment.

Requirements

Complete the following:

• • Define the term conflict. Do not simply copy a definition from a source!

• • • What does conflict mean to you?
    • How does that compare with how others define conflict?
  • Describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.
  • Explain how the communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships. Be sure to consider communication behaviors in a variety of situations.
  • Explain how differences in gender, age, culture, race, and so on can contribute to interpersonal conflict.
  • Recommend at least one strategy that can be used to resolve interpersonal conflict.

Because this is an article for publication, format your assessment following APA guidelines.

Additional Requirements

• • Submit 2–3 typed, double-spaced pages, not including title and reference pages.
  • Use 12-point, Times New Roman font.
  • Include a title page and reference page.
  • Cite at least 3 current scholarly or professional resources.

Interpersonal Conflict Scoring Guide

CRITERIA	NON-PERFORMANCE	BASIC	PROFICIENT	DISTINGUISHED
Define conflict.	Does not define conflict.	Provides a dictionary definition of conflict.	Defines conflict.	Defines conflict from a personal viewpoint and considers how that viewpoint may differ from other viewpoints.
Describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.	Does not describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.	Identifies communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.	Describes communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.	Describes a variety of communication behaviors, including forms of verbal and nonverbal communication that can lead to conflict.
Explain how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships.	Does not explain how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships.	Explains how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships, but the explanation is incomplete or is missing key elements.	Explains how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships.	Explains how communication behaviors (including forms of verbal and nonverbal communication) affect interpersonal relationships and shows a clear connection between the behaviors and conflict.
Explain how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.	Does not explain how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.	Explains how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict, but the explanation is incomplete or is missing key elements.	Explains how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.	Explains how and why individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.
Recommend a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict.	Does not recommend a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict.	Identifies a strategy to resolve conflict but does not show a clear connection to how it resolves interpersonal conflict.	Recommends a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict.	Recommends a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict and predicts the likely outcome.
Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.	Writing does not support a central idea in appropriate APA format. Does not use correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.	Writing supports an idea. APA format is inconsistent, containing major errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics.	Writing coherently supports a central idea in appropriate APA format and with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics.	Writing is coherent, using evidence to support a central idea in a consistently appropriate APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.