[Multiple goals in conflict resolution: their antecedents and effects upon tactical preference]

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Conflict Resolution Studies
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The multiple goals theory of conflict management posits that individuals pursue both resource goals (economic, personal) and social goals (relationship, identity, justice, power-hostility) during conflict.
• Understanding the interplay of these goals is crucial for effective conflict management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically examine the hypotheses derived from the multiple goals theory of conflict management.
• To investigate the relative importance and activation of different types of goals in interpersonal conflicts.
• To explore how individual attributes influence conflict tactics via goal mediation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the episode method, collecting data from 207 university students.
• Participants rated their recent interpersonal conflict experiences, focusing on attributes, goals, and tactics.
• Employed regression analyses to examine the mediation effects of goals on tactical preferences.

Main Results:

• Over 80% of participants reported being motivated by multiple goals during conflict resolution.
• Social goals (relationship, identity, justice, power-hostility) were more strongly activated than resource goals.
• Economic resource goals were the least activated among all goal types.
• Regression analyses confirmed that participants' attributes influence their choice of tactics indirectly through their activated goals.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide strong support for the multiple goals theory of conflict management.
• Social goals play a more significant role in motivating conflict behavior than economic resource goals.
• Individual attributes shape conflict management tactics by first influencing the prioritization and pursuit of specific goals.