Psychology of Conflict

Conflict is actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests. Conflict as a concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social disagreement, conflicts of interests and fights between individuals. When an interpersonal conflict does occur, its effect is often broader than two individuals involved and can affect many associate individuals and relationships, in more or less adverse and sometimes even way.
A clash of interests, values, actions or directions often sparks a conflict. Conflicts refer to the existence of that clash. Psychologically, a conflict exists when the reduction of one motivating stimulus involves an increase in another, so that a new adjustment is demanded. The world is applicable from the instant that the clash occurs. Even when we say that there is a potential conflict we are implying that there is already a conflict of direction even though a clash may not yet have occured. There are phases of conflict:

• Prelude to conflict - variables that make conflict possible between those involved;
• Triggering event - a particular event, such as criticism which creates the conflict;
• Initiation phase - occurs when at least one person makes it known to the other that a conflict exists;
• Differentiation phase - parties raise the conflict issues and pursue reasons for the varying positions;
• Integration stage- parties acknowledge common grounds and explore possibilities to move towards a solution.

There are also very many types of conflict, some of them are community conflict, diplomatic conflict, emotional conflict and so on. Conflicts in these levels may appear "nested" in conflicts residing at larger levels of analysis. Conflict is often best understood by examining the consequences of various behaviors at moments in time. These behaviors are usefully categorized according to conflict styles. Each style is a way to meet one's needs in a dispute but may impact other people in different ways.

• Accomodation – surrender one's own needs and wishes to accommodate the other party.
• Avoidance – avoid or postpone conflict by ignoring it, changing the subject, etc.
• Collaboration – work together to find a mutually beneficial solution.
• Compromise– bring the problem into the open and have the third person present. The aim of conflict resolution is to reach agreement and most often this will mean compromise.
• Competition – assert one's viewpoint at the potential expense of another. It can be useful when achieving one's objectives outweighs one's concern for the relationship.

By understanding these conflict solving methods, we may normalize the results of our behaviors in various situations.


References:
http://trendsupdates.com/constructive-conflict/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict
http://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/onlinetraining/resolution/aboutwhatisit.htm