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Expressing anger in conflict: when it helps and when it hurts
Gerben A Van Kleef1, Stéphane Côté
1Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. g.a.vankleef@uva.nl
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|November 21, 2007
Summary
In conflict, anger expression impacts negotiation outcomes. Power dynamics and anger appropriateness determine if individuals compete or cooperate, influencing value claims and concessions.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Negotiation Research
- Conflict Resolution
Background:
- Previous research on anger in conflict yields inconsistent results.
- A dual-process model is proposed to reconcile these inconsistencies.
- The model integrates power dynamics and anger expression appropriateness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test a dual-process model explaining anger's effect on negotiation.
- To investigate how power and anger appropriateness influence competitive or cooperative behavior.
- To reconcile conflicting findings in prior anger-conflict research.
Main Methods:
- A scenario study was conducted.
- A computer-mediated negotiation simulation was employed.
- Participants' power levels and adversary's anger expression appropriateness were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Lower-power individuals claimed less value from angry adversaries, irrespective of anger appropriateness.
- Higher-power individuals demanded more value when anger expressions were inappropriate compared to appropriate or neutral.
- Anger expression appropriateness moderated the effect of anger on value claiming for high-power individuals.
Conclusions:
- The dual-process model effectively predicts negotiation behavior in response to anger.
- Power significantly moderates the impact of anger expression on competitive negotiation tactics.
- Findings offer theoretical insights and practical implications for managing conflict and negotiation.
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