Functions and types of conflicts in interpersonal relationships. Conflicts in interpersonal relationships: stages and preventive measures
1. The concept of interpersonal conflict and its features.
Classification of interpersonal conflicts
Causes and spheres of manifestation of interpersonal conflicts.
This type of conflict is perhaps the most common. Interpersonal conflicts can be viewed as a clash of personalities in the process of their relationship. Such clashes can occur in a wide variety of spheres and areas (economic, political, industrial, socio-cultural, domestic, etc.). “Most often it arises due to a shortage of some kind of resources, for example, the presence of one prestigious vacancy with several candidates for it.”
“Interpersonal conflict is understood as an open clash of interacting subjects based on the contradictions that have arisen, acting as opposite goals that are incompatible in a particular situation. Interpersonal conflict is manifested in the interaction between two or more persons. In interpersonal conflicts, subjects confront each other and sort out their relationship directly, face to face.
Interpersonal conflicts arise both between people who meet for the first time and between constantly communicating people. In both cases, an important role in the relationship is played by the personal perception of a partner or opponent. An obstacle to finding agreement between individuals can be a negative attitude that has been formed by one opponent in relation to another. Installation is a readiness, a predisposition of the subject to act in a certain way. This is a certain direction of manifestation of the psyche and behavior of the subject, readiness for the perception of future events. It is formed under the influence of rumors, opinions, judgments about a given individual (group, phenomenon, etc.).
Interacting with other people, a person primarily protects his personal interests, and this is normal. The resulting conflicts are a reaction to obstacles to achieving goals. And on how significant the subject of the conflict seems to be for a particular individual, his conflict setting will largely depend.
Individuals face in interpersonal conflicts, protecting not only their personal interests. They can also represent the interests of individual groups, institutions, organizations, labor collectives, society as a whole. In such interpersonal conflicts, the intensity of the struggle and the possibility of finding compromises are largely determined by the conflict attitudes of those social groups whose representatives are opponents.
“All interpersonal conflicts arising from the clash of goals and interests can be divided into three main types.
The first one implies a fundamental clash, in which the realization of the goals and interests of one opponent can be achieved only at the expense of infringing on the interests of another.
The second - affects only the form of relations between people, but at the same time does not infringe on their spiritual, moral and material needs and interests.
The third is imaginary contradictions that can be provoked either by false (distorted) information or by an incorrect interpretation of events and facts.
“Interpersonal conflicts can also be divided into the following types:
rivalry - the desire for dominance;
dispute - disagreement about finding the best option for solving joint problems;
discussion - discussion of a controversial issue.
Any conflict resolution or prevention is aimed at preserving the existing system of interpersonal interaction. However, the source of the conflict may be such reasons that lead to the destruction of the existing system of interaction. In this regard, there are various functions of the conflict: constructive and destructive.
Structural features include:
cognitive (the appearance of a conflict acts as a symptom of dysfunctional relationships and a manifestation of the contradictions that have arisen);
development function (conflict is an important source of development of its participants and improvement of the interaction process);
instrumental (the conflict acts as a tool for resolving contradictions);
perestroika (conflict removes factors that undermine existing interpersonal interactions, promotes the development of mutual understanding between participants).
The destructive functions of conflict are associated with
destruction of existing joint activities;
deterioration or collapse of relations;
negative well-being of the participants;
low efficiency of further interaction, etc.
This side of the conflict causes people to have a negative attitude towards them, and they try to avoid them.
In a systematic study of conflicts, the structure and elements are distinguished in them. The elements of interpersonal conflict are: the subjects of the conflict, their personal characteristics, goals and motives, supporters, the cause of the conflict. The structure of a conflict is the relationship between its elements. The conflict is always in development, so its elements and structure are constantly changing. There is a wide range of views on this issue in the literature.
AND I. Antsupov and A.I. Shipilov in the textbook "Conflictology" give a detailed table of the main periods and stages of the dynamics of the conflict. Depending on the degree of tension in relations, they distinguish differentiating and integrating parts of the conflict. The conflict itself consists of three periods:
pre-conflict (the emergence of an objective problem situation, awareness of an objective problem situation, attempts to solve the problem in non-conflict ways, pre-conflict situation);
conflict (incident, escalation, balanced counteraction, end of conflict);
post-conflict situation (partial normalization of relations, full normalization of relations).
For the emergence of interpersonal conflict, the presence of contradictions (objective or imaginary) is necessary. The contradictions that have arisen due to a discrepancy in the views and assessments of people on a variety of phenomena lead to a situation of dispute. If it poses a threat to one of the participants, then a conflict situation arises.
The conflict situation is characterized by the presence of opposite goals and aspirations of the parties to master one object.
In a conflict situation, the subjects and object of the conflict are identified.
The subjects of interpersonal conflict include those participants who defend their own interests, strive to achieve their goal. They always speak for themselves.
The object of interpersonal conflict is what its participants claim. This is the goal that each of the opposing subjects strives to achieve. For example, a husband or wife claims sole control over the family budget. In this case, the object of disagreement may be the family budget, if the opposing party considers its rights infringed. The subject of the conflict in such a situation are contradictions, in which the opposite interests of the husband and wife are manifested. In the above case, the subject will be the desire of the spouses to master the right to manage the family budget, i.e. the problem of mastering the object, the claims that the subjects present to each other.
Every interpersonal conflict eventually has its resolution. The forms of their resolution depend on the behavioral style of the subjects in the process of conflict development. This part of the conflict is called the emotional side and is considered the most important.
Researchers distinguish the following styles of behavior in interpersonal conflict: confrontation, evasion, adaptation, compromise, cooperation, assertiveness.
Confrontation is a characteristically persistent, uncompromising, cooperation-rejecting defense of one's interests, for which all available means are used.
Evasion - associated with an attempt to get away from the conflict, not attaching great value to it, perhaps due to the lack of conditions for its resolution.
Adaptation - implies the willingness of the subject to give up their interests in order to maintain relationships that are placed above the subject and object of disagreement.
Compromise - requires concessions from both sides to the extent that through mutual concessions, an acceptable solution is found for the opposing parties.
Cooperation - involves the joint performance of the parties to solve the problem. With such behavior, different views on the problem are considered legitimate. This position makes it possible to understand the causes of disagreements and find a way out of the crisis acceptable to the opposing sides without infringing on the interests of each of them.
Assertive behavior (from the English. assert - assert, defend). Such behavior implies the ability of a person to defend his interests and achieve his goals without prejudice to the interests of other people. It is aimed at ensuring that the realization of one's own interests is a condition for the realization of the interests of interacting subjects. Assertiveness is an attentive attitude both to yourself and to your partner. Assertive behavior prevents the emergence of conflicts, and in a conflict situation helps to find the right way out of it. At the same time, the greatest efficiency is achieved when one assertive person interacts with another such person.
All of these styles of behavior can be both spontaneous and consciously used to achieve the desired results in resolving interpersonal conflicts. The decisive influence on the choice of a model of behavior in an interpersonal conflict is exerted by the personality itself - its needs, attitudes, habits, way of thinking, style of behavior, its past experience in solving problems and behavior in conflict. A significant role is often played by its internal spiritual contradictions, searches and throwing.
“In an interpersonal conflict, the emotional foundations of its development and attempts to resolve it are distinguished. According to Dan, conflict relations between two interdependent people, in which one of them or both of them feel anger towards the other and believe that it is the other who is to blame, refer to the interpersonal. Boyko emphasizes that from the point of view of the state of interpersonal relationships, the conflict is the destruction of these relationships at the emotional, cognitive or behavioral level.
One of the most common types of conflicts are interpersonal. They cover almost all spheres of human life. Any conflict in one way or another comes down to interpersonal. In fact, it is primary in relation to all other types of conflict, with the exception of intrapersonal. Knowledge of the characteristics of interpersonal conflicts, the causes of their occurrence and ways to manage them is an important component in the professional training of any specialist. These and other aspects of interpersonal conflicts are revealed in this article.
interpersonal conflict- an open clash of interacting subjects based on the contradictions that have arisen, acting in the form of opposite needs, goals, interests, motives that are incompatible in a particular situation.
The problem of interpersonal conflict is paid more attention to representatives of the psychological direction in conflictology. The following basic concepts of interpersonal conflicts are distinguished:
- Psychoanalytic interpretation ();
- The concept of meeting needs ();
- The concept of depending on the contest (M. Deutsch).
In accordance with the psychoanalytic tradition, K. Horney interprets interpersonal conflict as a result of intrapersonal conflict, that is, interpersonal conflict is secondary to intrapersonal conflict. Interpersonal relationships of a person are predetermined by the nature of his resolution of his intrapersonal conflicts.
K. Levin refers to interpersonal conflicts as contradictions between a person's own needs and external objective reality. The severity of interpersonal conflict is explained by the importance of the needs involved.
Within the framework of the situational approach, interpersonal conflict is considered as an element of the general system of interpersonal interaction. M. Deutsch, based on the five main dimensions of interpersonal relationships, identifies sixteen types of interpersonal relationships.
Among these sixteen types: eight relate to competitive (conflict) interaction, within which very diverse relationships can develop, acquiring various forms.
Ya.L. Kolominsky, B.P. Zhiznsvsky consider interpersonal conflicts that arise in the children's environment in the process of games.
G.V. Andreeva, L.B. Schneider, T.M. Mishina, A.I. Tashcheva, V.P. Levkovich, O.E. Zuskova and others consider interpersonal conflict through the prism of family relations.
K. Butner, L.B. Filonov, T.V. Dragunov, D.G. Trunov, A.I. Zakharov et al. analyze interpersonal conflicts in the sphere of adolescents' relationships with parents and the social environment as a way of self-affirmation, self-realization.
Another area of interpersonal relations, which is characterized by a high level of interpersonal conflicts, is work, interaction in. This problem is dealt with by N.V. Grishina, S.I. Erina, D. Katz and R. Kahn.
It should be emphasized that in an interpersonal conflict a person can act as its initiator. Or he may be drawn into it by accident, unexpectedly for himself. In all cases, it must be taken into account that in an interpersonal conflict there are always two interrelated components: content and psychological.
Thus, interpersonal conflict should be considered as a private, specific form of interaction between people in their process and joint.
Interpersonal conflict has a number of features.
In interpersonal conflicts, the confrontation of people takes place directly, here and now, based on the clash of their personal motives. In an interpersonal conflict, individual socio-psychological characteristics of the subjects of the conflict are fully manifested, affecting the dynamics of its development, the forms of conflict interaction, the course and outcome. They are distinguished by high emotionality and coverage of almost all aspects of the relationship between the conflicting parties and affect the interests of not only the direct participants, but also those with whom they are directly connected, either by official or interpersonal relations. In interpersonal conflict, the emotional side, as a rule, prevails over the rational one. Interpersonal conflict has a high probability of quickly entering the escalation phase.
The subjects of interpersonal conflict are specific individuals - individuals with a mismatched system of claims.
The object of interpersonal conflict is a specific (material, spiritual), and the main reason is the way to satisfy it. The subject of interpersonal conflict, as a rule, are contradictions in which the opposing interests of its subjects are manifested.
Thus, in an interpersonal conflict, the needs, goals and values of people are manifested: their interests; , . Participants in an interpersonal conflict subjectively perceive and realize its specific conflict situation, they see the methods and ways of its further resolution in different ways.
The most common forms of real interpersonal conflicts are mutual accusations, quarrels, attacks, defense, in which each participant in the conflict strives to assert himself, satisfy his needs, achieve his interests. These forms of conflict interaction are more characteristic of the escalation phase.
The spheres of manifestation of interpersonal conflict, as mentioned above, are very diverse. At the same time, according to S. M. Emelyanov, they can be reduced to three main groups.
1. Team (organization)
2. Family
3. Society (social institutions; government agencies; street; public transport, etc.)
Along with the general classification of interpersonal conflict, where the basis is the sphere of its manifestation, typology should also be abandoned on other grounds.
There is a classification of interpersonal conflicts depending on the mutual orientation of the subjects S and S in interpersonal relationships: likes (+) and antipathies (-).
If we take the driving forces and subjects of interpersonal conflict as a basis for classification, resource and value conflicts are distinguished.
Resource conflicts are associated with the distribution of livelihoods necessary for a person.
Value conflicts are caused by mutually exclusive cultural stereotypes, beliefs and beliefs, assessments and relationships.
According to the criterion of reality and truth - falsity: interpersonal conflicts subdivide:
- Random, conditional;
- Genuine;
- False;
- Offset;
- Latent;
- Wrongly assigned.
Genuine conflict exists objectively and is perceived adequately.
Random or conditional conflict - a conflict that depends on easily changeable circumstances, which is not always recognized by the parties.
Displaced conflict - refers to a clear conflict, behind which lies another, invisible one.
Misattributed conflict – between parties misunderstanding each other and misinterpreting issues.
Latent conflict - should have happened, but which does not exist, because for one reason or another it is not recognized by the parties;
False conflict - there are no objective grounds for interpersonal conflict, it exists only due to errors in perception and understanding.
At the same time, it should be taken into account that irrational motivation plays a significant role in interpersonal conflicts. In them, the rational does not always prevail over the emotional and irrational, often just the opposite.
Considering the immediate causes and sources of interpersonal conflicts, special attention should be paid to basic human needs, such as: food needs, sexual needs, the need for security, affection, self-respect, justice, kindness, self-realization, etc. In the event of a threat to their satisfaction, a potential conflict situation arises, which can lead to acute forms of interpersonal conflict interaction. The fact that an interpersonal conflict will develop from a potential conflict situation, and it is present in interpersonal relations [almost always, in open forms, a significant role belongs to conflictogens: manifestations of aggressiveness, selfishness, categoricalness, superiority, etc.
Of particular interest in considering the causes of interpersonal conflict is the approach proposed by W. Lincoln. He identifies five main types of causative factors of interpersonal conflict:
1. Information factors - not the perception of information by one of the parties or both parties.
2. Behavioral factors (conflictogens) - inappropriateness, rudeness, selfishness, unpredictability and other characteristics of behavior that are not acceptable to one of the subjects of the conflict.
3. Relationship factors - dissatisfaction with the interaction between the parties.
4. Value factors - the value hierarchy that the conflicting parties adhere to, its degree of discrepancy,
5. Structural factors - relatively stable circumstances that exist objectively, regardless of our desire, which are difficult to change. To overcome them, significant resources are required: material, physical, intellectual.
Interpersonal conflict performs both constructive and destructive functions. Both of these functions are simultaneously present in any conflict, but in each specific one of them prevails.
The constructive functions of interpersonal conflict are manifested, as a rule, in the creation of a community of people involved in solving the problem, expanding the scope of cooperation; in the process of deeper mutual knowledge, clarification of one's own interests and the interests of a partner, reaching a new level of mutual understanding.
Constructive functions of interpersonal conflict:
- Cognitive function - the conflict reveals the presence of specific contradictions in interpersonal relationships that were previously hidden and were not recognized by them.
- Function of development - if ethical norms are observed in the process of conflict interaction, the conflict is an important source of development of its participants and improvement of the relationship process.
- Instrumental - conflict - the main tool for resolving interpersonal contradictions.
- Perestroika - a rationally resolved conflict brings interpersonal relationships to a new level, removes tension factors, promotes the development of mutual understanding.
Destructive functions of interpersonal conflict manifest when one of the opponents resorts to aggressive asocial forms of confrontation, which, as a rule, leads to an adequate reaction of the other side, the interpersonal conflict enters the escalation phase. In a destructive conflict, the following is observed: polarization of partners' value judgments; striving for a divergence of initial positions; the desire to force a partner to a decision that is unfavorable for him; aggravation of the conflict; desire to get away from the original problem.
Ultimately, any interpersonal conflict sooner or later has its resolution. And a number of interpersonal conflicts need to be managed. Management of interpersonal conflicts that arise in the organization is the direct responsibility of the relevant leader (manager). When managing and resolving interpersonal ones, it should be taken into account that the determining factor in these processes is the subjects in the process of conflict development, its emotional side.
LECTURE "INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS" (Topic 7).
Conflicts arise in almost all spheres of human life. They are manifested in interpersonal communication, in joint activities, in the management process, in all relationships between people. The most common form of conflict is interpersonal. Therefore, knowledge of the characteristics of interpersonal conflicts, the ability to identify the causes of their occurrence and apply methods of managing them is so professionally important for a psychologist.
1. The concept of interpersonal conflict and its features
· Interpersonal conflict is an intractable contradiction that arises between people and is caused by the incompatibility of their views, interests, goals and needs. (Morozov A.V., 2000)
There are other approaches to determining the essence of interpersonal conflict:
1. interpersonal conflict is a situation of confrontation between the participants, perceived and experienced by them (or at least one of them) as a significant psychological problem that requires its resolution and causes activity of the parties, aimed at overcoming the contradiction that has arisen and resolving the situation in the interests of both or one of the parties (Grishina N.V., 2000)
2. interpersonal conflict - this is an intractable situation that can arise due to the existing disharmony of interpersonal relations of people in a society or group, as well as as a result of an imbalance between the structures existing in them (Krysko V.G., 2003)
3. interpersonal conflict - this is a temporary emotional change in a person's mood in connection with the receipt of new data that significantly changes the old idea of \u200b\u200bthe object or process of interest (Zhuravlev P.V., 2000)
4. interpersonal conflict - this is a struggle for values and claims for a certain status, power, resources, in which the goals are neutralization, damage or destruction of an opponent (Kibanov A.Ya., 1998).
5. interpersonal conflict is a clash of two or more strong motives that cannot be satisfied at the same time. The weakening of one motivating stimulus leads to the strengthening of another and a new assessment of the situation is required (Gubsky E.F., 2002).
6. Interpersonal conflict - this is a collision of oppositely directed, incompatible tendencies in the mind of a single individual, in interpersonal interactions or interpersonal relationships, associated with negative emotional experiences (Petrovsky A.V., 1985).
Let us generalize all the variety of formulations of interpersonal conflict by highlighting its features:
1. Conflicts between people do not arise due to the manifestation of objective circumstances, but as a result of their incorrect subjective perception and assessment by individuals;
2. In interpersonal conflicts, there is a direct confrontation between people, i.e. rivals usually face each other;
3. In interpersonal causes, the whole variety of known psychological causes (general, particular, objective, subjective, etc.) is manifested;
4. In the course of interpersonal conflicts, there is a quick test of characters, temperaments, manifestations of abilities, will, intellect, emotional sphere and other individual psychological characteristics;
5. Interpersonal conflicts are characterized by high emotional intensity and coverage of all aspects of interpersonal relations between conflicting subjects;
6. Interpersonal conflicts affect the interests of not only the conflicting parties, but also those who are directly connected with them by official or personal relations.
The conducted studies gave grounds for the assertion that in 85% of conflicts the mood of the right opponent noticeably worsens. The wrong opponent's mood deteriorated in 70% of conflicts. The conflict continues to have a negative impact on the mood of the participants even after its resolution in 50% of cases.
Classification of interpersonal conflicts does not differ significantly from the classification of intrapersonal conflicts. There are the following forms of interpersonal conflicts:
– motivational (conflict of interest);
- moral;
– cognitive (value);
– unfulfilled desire;
– role-playing (hidden and open);
- adaptive;
– inadequate self-esteem.
This classification scheme for interpersonal conflicts can be supplemented by two classification groups, namely:
1. According to the nature of the causes
1.1. caused by labor professional relations;
1.2. caused by psychological characteristics human relationships (likes, dislikes, etc.);
1.3. caused by individual psychological characteristics participants (emotionality, aggressiveness, sociability, etc.).
2. By value for participants interpersonal conflicts can be:
2.1. Constructive , i.e. bringing relations (after conflict resolution) to a higher level of development, leading to mutual understanding;
2.2. destructive, or leading to negative, destructive consequences.
It is of particular interest to study the causes and spheres of manifestation of conflicts.
2. Causes and spheres manifestations of interpersonal conflicts
There are three main positions in studying the causes of interpersonal conflicts. Let's consider them in more detail:
1. Psychoanalytic position (C. Horney) proceeds from the fact that the key to understanding human behavior is the problems once experienced by him in childhood;
2. Need-personal position (K. Levin) is based on understanding the causes of interpersonal conflicts, as contradictions between a person's own needs and an external objective coercive force;
3. Contextual position (M. Deutsch) suggests that the causes of interpersonal conflicts should be investigated in the context of the overall system of interaction. In accordance with this position, competitive and cooperative relations between people are distinguished, each of which can be equal and unequal, formal and informal, task-oriented or distribution of power.
Consider the main causes of interpersonal conflicts:
1) Availability contradictions between interests, values, goals, motives, roles of individual individuals;
2) Presence confrontation between different personalities, caused by the difference in social status, the level of claims, etc.;
3) Appearance and stable dominance of negative emotions and feelings as background characteristics of interaction and communication between people;
4) Mismatch reasoning, i.e. disagreement with the order (sequence) of the opponent's conclusions, which in certain situations leads to a feeling of one's own psychological loss;
5) Features perception, during which a significant part of the information is lost. According to research, it has been established that if we take what is conceived as 100%, then what is expressed contains 70% of the primary information. What is heard is 80% of what was said, and in total it is 56% of the original information. 70% of what is heard is understood (39% of primary information). 60% of what is understood is remembered (24% of the initial level). When retelling the memorized, about 30% of the information is lost. As a result of perception, only 16% of the primary information remains, which explains the large number of errors and the possibility of conflicts;
6) Subjective predisposition to conflicts, which manifests itself in a combination of the following psychological qualities: inadequate self-esteem, desire for dominance, conservatism of thinking, excessive straightforwardness, criticism, anxiety, aggressiveness, stubbornness, irritability, resentment.
The main areas of manifestation interpersonal conflicts are the collective (organization), society and family, i.e. social communities in which most of the human activity takes place.
Let's make an attempt to correlate the main causes of interpersonal conflicts with the areas of their manifestation.
1. Conflicts in the team (organization) develop in the following way: supervisor-subordinate», « equal to equal», « official», « unofficial". The causes of these conflicts can be divided into two groups:
1.1. Organizational and technical (allocation of resources, differences in goals, poor communication, interdependence of tasks, differences in methods);
1.2. Psychological (individual, status, role features, differences in positions, attitudes, views, judgments).
2. Conflicts in society develop according to the citizen-society" And " citizen-citizen". Their main reason is the low psychological and pedagogical culture of their participants.
3. Family conflicts represented by diagrams husband-husband», « parents-children" And " spouses-relatives". Among their reasons are the following:
3.1. Deviant behavior one of the participants;
3.2. material problems ;
3.3. Activity restriction (freedom, action);
3.4. Individual psychological characteristics ;
3.5. Sexual disharmony .
Let's move on to studying the technology of managing interpersonal conflicts
3.
In the process of managing interpersonal conflicts, it is important to take into account the factors of their development.
· Conflict factors - these are the driving forces or stimuli of conflict interaction, determining its nature and individual features.
According to the American conflictologist W. Lincoln, five factors of interpersonal conflicts can be distinguished:
1. Information factors reduced to the unacceptability of information for one of the parties to the conflict. They usually manifest themselves in the form of incomplete and inaccurate information, rumors, disinformation, unreliable sources, extraneous factors;
2. Behavioral factors which are negative manifestations in the behavior of one or both participants in the conflict (rudeness, tactlessness, aggressiveness). They manifest themselves in the form of striving for superiority, selfishness, breaking promises;
3. Relationship Factors expressed in dissatisfaction with the interaction between the parties to the conflict. They manifest themselves in the form of incompatibility of values, differences in educational level, distrust, lack of authority, unbalanced relations;
4. Value Factors manifest themselves in opposition to the principles of behavior of the conflicting parties. They act in the form of prejudices, adherence to traditions, ideas about ethical standards (about good and evil, justice and injustice);
5. Structural factors are relatively stable objective circumstances that are difficult to change. This is the attitude to power, legal norms, property rights, management system, norms of behavior.
Managing interpersonal conflicts can be considered in external And internal aspect. The external aspect represents the impact within a particular conflict. The internal aspect represents the main strategies of behavior in conflict. Let's consider them in more detail.
1. Managing interpersonal conflicts represents an impact on the sphere of conflict relations, leading to its constructive resolution. It includes four stages:
1.1. Forecasting conflict consists in studying the individual psychological characteristics of partners, analyzing the early symptoms of a conflict at the stage of a conflict situation (restriction of relationships, critical statements, etc.);
1.2. Warningconflict is based on an in-depth analysis of the causes and factors of the brewing conflict, after which measures are taken to neutralize them. Distinguish between pedagogical measures (conversations, clarifications, persuasion, suggestion) and organizational measures (temporary isolation of participants, changing the conditions of communication);
1.3. Regulationconflict is based on the recognition by the conflicting parties of the reality of the conflict, after which conflict management technologies are applied simultaneously with limiting the number of participants;
1.4. Permissionconflict is made on the basis of choosing one of the known methods.
2. Internal aspect involves the use of technologies of rational behavior in conflict. It is based on the choice of strategy and tactics of behavior developed by American psychologists K. Thomas and R. Kilman. There are two main strategies for dealing with conflict:
2.1. Partnership strategy focuses on taking into account the interests and needs of the partner, for which points of contact of views and opinions are used;
2.2. Pressure strategy characterized by the realization of their own interests and goals, for which they use the imposition of one's opinion, selfishness.
Interpersonal Ways of Conflict Resolution associated with a common source of any conflict - a mismatch of interests of two or more parties. These include the following:
1) Way of competition is to resolve the conflict actively, by making their own volitional decisions. This method consists in the fact that one side seeks to satisfy its own interests to the detriment of the interests of others, forcing them to make their own decision. This method is justified if the competing party has a certain power and authority, if the conflict must be quickly resolved. However, the method is not applicable in case of complex conflicts;
2) Evasion method is realized when one of the parties withdraws from cooperation or even from defending its interests. This method is effective if the conflict is not deep, if it is known in advance that one of the parties is wrong, if a delay in solving the problem is necessary;
3) Adaptation method means that the parties to the conflict interact without trying to defend their own interests. It is advisable to choose this method if the significance of the conflict is not the same for its parties;
4) Way of cooperation manifests itself in the fact that the parties actively interact and at the same time defend their interests. This method is the longest in time, it is effective if the parties have different hidden needs, and the solution of the problem is equally important for both.
5) way to compromise lies in the fact that one of the parties gives in a little to the other and is set to resolve differences through mutual concessions. This method is effective if the situation is important for both, and the parties to the conflict have the same power.
A graphical model for choosing a conflict resolution method is shown in Figure 1.
Rice. 1Interpersonal ways of conflict resolution.
As a result of studying this topic, we can formulate the following conclusions:
· There are various approaches to describing interpersonal conflicts, but most researchers agree that they have objective causes, subjective manifestations, diverse manifestations, specific factors, high emotional intensity;
· Interpersonal conflicts manifest themselves in all spheres of life (team, society, family) and are manageable, which comes down to studying the causes and factors, influencing the sphere of conflict relationships, choosing a strategy and way of behavior.
Task 7
Analyze your attitude to the main ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts. Reflect the results of the analysis in the table. Use your own rating system.
| Conflict resolution method | Relation to the method |
|||
| I use often | I prefer | I use less often | I feel the least comfortable |
|
| COMPETITION | ||||
| EVASION | ||||
| COOPERATION | ||||
| COMPROMISE | ||||
| DEVICE | ||||
Interpersonal conflicts as a result of the interaction of individual individuals, taking into account the characteristics of each. The main causes of occurrence, classification, methods for solving the problem and prevention of these disagreements.
The content of the article:
Interpersonal conflicts are a clash of two or more individuals in the course of productive interaction, which is manifested by inconsistency or divergence of goals in a particular situation. In other words, interpersonal should be called the existing contradiction between people, which excludes the interests and goals of all parties and occurs, taking into account the individual characteristics of each person.
The mechanism of development of interpersonal conflict
Each person in society defends his point of view and his interests, defending the rights to his own desires and positions. In addition, there are also goals that a given person strives to achieve. In the course of this, people need to contact each other, develop patterns of interaction and connections at different levels (professional, friendly, close). If an obstacle in the form of another person stands in the way of one's own views, then a conflict will arise.
The discrepancy between the established pattern of relationship with the individual and the fact that he becomes an obstacle to personal goals sets off an analytic chain reaction in the subconscious. It turns out the degree of importance of the priority task and the strength of personal connections between these people.
If personal ambitions take second place, then the chances of reconciliation of the differences that have arisen are quite large, since everyone will appreciate the relationship. If heightened pride is stronger than the need to connect with a person, interpersonal conflict develops. It can be resolved in one of the following possible ways while maintaining the initial relationship, or it can break all ties.
In the mechanism of development of conflicts in interpersonal relationships, there are several specific features:
- An irresistible desire to prove one's case. A person tries to justify his opinion both by presenting real reasons and factors, and by devaluing the interlocutor's arguments.
- emotional attachment. The conflict is accompanied by vivid affective reactions that are difficult to control.
- Bias in the negativity of the alternative solution. The opinion that one's own judgment is the only correct one makes one doubt the correctness of the opponent's decision.
The main causes of interpersonal conflicts
Confrontation between people reaches its climax due to completely different reasons. Moreover, in each individual situation, there are several significant factors that could provoke an interpersonal conflict:
- Dissatisfaction with material and spiritual goods. If a person has a lack of necessary resources in quantitative or qualitative terms, he tries to make up for them in a different way, where there is a high risk of developing an interpersonal conflict.
- Mutual interests. In a group where the goals of the participants converge, but the methods for achieving the set task have some differences, a number of confrontations may arise. A person is unable to fulfill some of their needs in a work or personal relationship. This should include conflict situations at work, problems with the subordination of subordinates and mentors, family disagreements, family quarrels.
- Separate Interests. Opponents have personal goals, the fulfillment of one of them excludes the other. The developing conflict raises the question of the differences that exist at the moment, and needs a compromise solution.
- Value features of the question. This type of confrontation is based on dissimilar motivational approaches to the same issue due to different psychological attitudes and priorities.
- Course of action. It develops due to the lack of stereotypes and manners of some behavior in one of the opponents. The reason for this may be a lack of experience or an inability to perform the necessary actions. Often causes conflicts at work or school.
- Communication. The discrepancy between the communication abilities of one person to another, non-compliance with the rules of dialogue, subordination and tact.
- Character. The cause of the conflict is specific personality traits that the other individual dislikes.
Family conflicts in interpersonal relationships can be based both on ordinary domestic disagreements, and on the inability to realize one's own needs, a mismatch of values and goals in life between spouses.
Working relationships often crack in the execution of orders and tasks. There is also a risk of developing personal hostility among employees of one link and management. Often, disputes are based on behavioral issues, for example, a discrepancy between the actions of an employee and the reputation of a company or organization.
Varieties of interpersonal conflicts
The concept of interpersonal conflict is a unique example of a combination of characterological features of each individual and the nuances of controversy. Therefore, it is difficult to single out any common points in each of the disputes. The classification allows us to break down such confrontations into three large options that differ in motivational features:
- Differences in values. What is important for one person turns out to be completely unimportant for another and causes a wave of indignation and discontent. This group contains all the religious, political and philosophical divisions that exist between people. Such situations do not necessarily cause conflicts, but when combined with the appropriate conditions, they can ignite real confrontation. Similarly, in family relationships: different personal meanings of the goals of each of the spouses can coexist until one of them begins to influence or undermine the spiritual values of the other. This balance can be controlled by common higher ideals, which nevertheless converge. For example, one of the parents lures the child to a certain type of activity, and the second - to a completely different one. But each of them is sure of one thing: a son or daughter should do something. Shared perspectives on the problem determine priority solutions that suit both.
- Conflict of interest. Completely different goals and ideas about achieving them can coexist as long as they do not intersect. If the desire of one person excludes the intention of another, a conflict situation develops on this basis. This scenario often occurs in life when some resources are distributed that both parties want to receive.
This group of conflicts includes any kind of emotional competition, including both profit and personal dislike for the opponent. For example, the struggle in the office for a promotion, a tender for a large project in a company, a competition for an increased scholarship in an educational institution. - Violation of the rules of interaction. This variant of interpersonal conflict is based on the unwillingness to adhere to the general rules and norms that have been established to regulate communications between the two parties. If one of them violates some of the points of these rules, tactless or unacceptable behavior may be interpreted as a reason for confrontation. Such disagreements can be observed at work as situations of excess of authority or violation of subordination. In families, such conflicts occur due to inappropriate attitudes towards each other, which is expected in given conditions.
How to deal with interpersonal conflict
To resolve an interpersonal conflict, it must be remembered that truth is not born in a dispute, but the true face of a participant in a quarrel is revealed. How your opponent and others see you during this disagreement can have significant consequences in the future. A distinctive feature of a well-mannered and intelligent person is the ability to keep himself and his emotions in check while clarifying contradictions.
Behavior in interpersonal conflict should not sink to the level that will not correspond to self-image. It is necessary to act in such a way that the spoken words and promises do not cause further shame, regret or any other unpleasant sensations. Every word in a dispute should be thought through to the smallest detail.
If you follow the basic rules of such behavior, the conflict gets every chance for a quick and effective resolution:
- Respect for the opponent. Be that as it may, in most cases, a person confronts with someone he knows well or often interacts with. Interpersonal conflicts with strangers also happen, but not as often as with relatives, friends, colleagues. The probability of further connections or contacts with the opponent is huge. Therefore, in order to avoid further embarrassment, apology and discomfort in dealing with this person, one should not be insulting or humiliating towards him.
- Emotional restraint. There is a tendency that conflict situations without an affective load are resolved faster and do not leave an unpleasant aftertaste. Moreover, it is likely to maintain minimally positive relations with the other side of the confrontation. In important disputes, the transition to the emotional side with the identification of personal hostility to a person is considered a sign of tactlessness, bad manners and bad taste. In addition, such an attitude will by no means raise the reputation of a person among friends and relatives.
- Direction towards problem solving. Often in conflict situations, people forget why they started an argument. Having switched to personal insults and humiliation, the essence of the feud remains unresolved or untouched. All attention, rage or enthusiasm should be used in the development of optimal schemes for resolving this disagreement, methods of establishing a mutually satisfactory compromise.
In any conflict, you should behave the way you would like your opponent to behave. Thus, it is possible to achieve culture and mutual understanding with relatives, friends and acquaintances.
Ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts
Subconsciously, a person himself tries to resolve any disagreements by the methods that he considers the most convenient and simple. Sometimes, even without active intervention in the confrontation, it can resolve itself. This is not always the case, but is usually resolved in one of 4 ways:
- Smoothing sharp corners. This is a kind of imaginary way out of the current situation, which in fact does not eliminate the cause of the conflict, but only erases its main manifestations. In fact, dissatisfaction with these circumstances is transformed into internal anger, resentment, and external active manifestations subside for a while. There is still a huge possibility that a dispute that has died down after a while can be resumed with much greater force. Smoothing is achieved through the usual reconciliation due to various factors or temporary benefits.
- compromise solution. Partial acceptance of the conditions of the opponent by all parties to the conflict is capable of weakening its strength for some time. Although small disagreements will still remain, but at an insufficient level to resume confrontation. There is a great possibility of its development after a certain period of time.
- Adoption. Attention is focused on both points of view, and all comments, additions and claims to each other are accepted. This type of interaction after an interpersonal conflict is observed infrequently, but still has the right to exist as the most optimal scenario. It is extremely rare for people to fully accept each other's point of view, integrate it with their own, and come to a mutually beneficial solution.
- domination. One side fully and completely recognizes its wrongness and the superiority of the point of view, idea or proposal of the opponent. Often this happens in working conditions, when the subordination forces the staff to fully agree with what management puts forward. A peculiar scheme of submission does not always work for choleric or hysterical personalities. Such people will never allow their opinion and results to be ignored.
- The presence of a conflict situation must always be recognized. This is an integral part of the process itself, which must be resolved. If you resist and do not accept the dissonance in the relationship for what it is, hidden negative feelings can persist for a very long time and gradually poison life.
- Creating an opportunity to clarify the current situation. Discussion and discussion are simply necessary for the correct resolution of interpersonal conflict. It is necessary on both sides to provide conditions under which it will be possible to understand the causes and essence of the problem.
- Identifying Specific Reasons for Disagreements. To avoid the transition to an emotional level and personal claims, you need to clearly identify the circle of interest in this conflict. Often you can understand that the problem is not so big.
- Options for the outcome of the situation. There must be several of them to make it possible to choose the best one. They need to be developed taking into account the interests of each party.
- Choosing an agreed solution and making it a reality. The joint practical application of those measures that have been agreed leads to reconciliation and attempts to establish personal contact.
Prevention of interpersonal conflicts
The best medicine is prevention. It is much easier to prevent the development of unwanted contention than to look for ways to resolve it later. So you can maintain trusting relationships with friends, relatives, acquaintances and even at work. The reputation will remain impeccable if you know how to use the prevention of interpersonal conflicts.
The main points of preventing the formation of disagreements lie in the behavior, gestures and tact of both parties. If you follow a few rules, you can significantly reduce the risk of violent conflicts with other people:
- Attention should be paid to the opponent, it is necessary to behave with him politely and tactfully.
- Tolerance will help to avoid short-tempered reactions from the other person.
- Trust and openness should be shown by maintaining eye contact, avoiding the look is not necessary in any case.
- Provide an opportunity for the interlocutor to explain their point of view and justify the opinion.
- Try to understand the opponent or mentally put yourself in his place.
- Tactfully admit your mistake, if any.
- Express vague feelings that indicate your doubts about your rightness regarding the present conversation.
- Carefully explain those points where the opponent's opinion lends itself to criticism.
- A positive attitude to resolve the situation, and not to argue that you are right.
Important! The solution to any conflict should not take place in a raised voice, personal insults should not be allowed.
How to resolve interpersonal conflict - look at the video:
For mutually beneficial and productive relationships with colleagues at work, at home with family or loved ones, you should know how to resolve the interpersonal conflict that will inevitably arise in everyone's life. To do this, you need to be able to behave correctly in order to avoid unwanted actions and extremely unpleasant consequences.
interpersonal conflict- this is a clash of personalities with different goals, characters, views, etc. Interpersonal conflict manifests itself in the interaction between two or more persons. In interpersonal conflicts, subjects confront each other and sort out their relationship directly, face to face. This is one of the most common types of conflicts. They can occur both between colleagues and between the closest people.
The specific causes of interpersonal conflicts are varied. It is very difficult to give them an exhaustive classification - how many schools and authors, so many approaches to this issue. A.S. Karmin, when classifying the main causes of conflicts between individuals, identifies the following groups of causes:
1) limited resources - their qualitative and quantitative side;
2) various aspects of the relationship (powers, power);
3) differences in goals;
4) differences in ideas and values;
5) differences in behavior and life experience;
6) discontent in communication;
7) personal differences of participants in the collision.
This classification is good because it allows you to understand the sources of conflicts and the area where they arise.
The dynamics of the conflict is the course of development, changes in the conflict under the influence of its internal mechanisms and external factors. In the process of its development, interpersonal conflict goes through several stages. In the course of a conflict, some of them may be absent, the duration of the stages may vary, but the sequence in different cases is the same.
Stages of interpersonal conflict:
1. Pre-conflict situation.
This is the state of affairs on the eve of the conflict. Sometimes it can be completely successful, and then the conflict begins suddenly, under the influence of some factor that accidentally intrudes into this stage. But most often at this stage there are already some prerequisites for conflict. This period is called "latent" and includes the following stages:
The emergence of an objective problem situation;
Awareness of the objective problem situation by the subjects of interaction;
Attempts by the parties to resolve an objective problem situation in a non-conflict
ways; the emergence of a pre-conflict situation”.
At the pre-conflict stage, there is quite a strong tension in relations, but it remains latent and does not result in open conflict clashes. This situation can persist for quite a long time.
2.Incident.
Incident - "the first clash of the parties." It acts as a starting point for conflict. It is not uncommon for an incident to arise as if for a random reason, but in fact such an occasion is the last straw that overflows the cup.
3. Escalation.
In the escalation phase, the conflict "steps up the steps", being realized in a series of separate acts - actions and counteractions of the conflicting parties. Escalation can be continuous - with an ever-increasing degree of tension in relations and the strength of blows exchanged between conflicting parties; and undulating, when the tension of relations either intensifies or subsides.
4. climax.
This stage occurs when the escalation of the conflict leads one or both parties to act, causing serious damage to the cause that binds them, the organization in which they cooperate. The climax is usually expressed in some kind of "explosive" episode. The culmination directly brings the parties to the realization of the need to interrupt both the further aggravation of relations and the intensification of hostile actions and look for a way out of the conflict along some other paths.
An escalation does not necessarily end in a climax. Often, the parties begin to take measures to extinguish the conflict, without waiting until it reaches the climactic explosion. Here, too, the "limit of tolerance" of conflictants matters. When this limit is exceeded, they get tired of the conflict, they get tired of conflict, and there is a desire to somehow settle the differences. In a protracted conflict, the moment of climax does not come for a long time. In some cases, the conflict gradually fades away. But in other cases, delaying the climax is very expensive: in the process of a protracted escalation, a high “energy potential” of negative emotions accumulates, which does not find discharge in the climax; and when, at last, the moment of climax arrives, the release of all this energy is capable of producing the most terrifying destruction.
5. End of the conflict.
"The end of the conflict is the transition from conflict resistance to finding a solution to the problem and ending the conflict for any reason." There are two concepts here: the price of conflict and the price of getting out of the conflict. The cost of the conflict for each of the conflicting parties is the sum of three quantities:
The expenditure of energy, time and effort on conflict activities;
Damage caused by the unfriendly actions of the other party;
Losses associated with the deterioration of the overall situation (the collapse of the common cause due to poor interaction between the parties and the inconsistency of their efforts, disorder, stagnation, loss of public prestige).
If the gains are greater than the losses, then the benefits of ending the conflict are obvious. The end of the conflict can be achieved either by the conflicting parties themselves without the help of any outsiders, or by involving a third party. There are three ways in which the conflicting parties can try to get out of the state of conflict. The first is violence, the second is separation, and the third is reconciliation.
Violence: The weaker side is forced to obey and comply with the requirements of the stronger side by force. The only advantage of forceful influence is the ability to quickly end the fight. However, strategically forceful resolution of the conflict is always ineffective. The repressed side remains dissatisfied with the solution of the conflict, which pushes it to covert resistance, and sometimes even open rebellion, which again require violence to suppress.
Separation: In this case, the conflict is resolved by ending the interaction, breaking off relations between the conflicting parties, when they both leave the "battlefield" or the weaker side disappears in order to avoid violence and its consequences. Of course, the separation of the conflicting parties completely resolves the conflict. But it leads to a post-conflict situation that can be very painful for one or both of the conflicting parties. As a result of the rupture of contacts between them, their common cause collapses, the organization whose activities ensured their existence collapses.
Reconciliation: Peaceful settlement of differences can occur "by itself", on the basis of the tacit cessation of "military actions" by the conflicting parties against each other. In this case, the conflict subsides.
The final resolution of the conflict is achieved through negotiations.
Ending the conflict with the help of a third party. The interaction of the conflicting parties can be transferred to another level if a third party is involved in resolving the conflict, which can take a neutral position or side of one of the conflicting parties.
6. post-conflict situation.
Conflict rarely goes completely unnoticed. The influence of the past conflict on the situation that arose after its completion is called the aftereffect of the conflict. It can be destructive, negative, negatively affecting the lives and activities of conflict participants, or it can be constructive, positive, contributing to changing things for the better, introducing useful innovations, identifying and resolving significant problems.
Conclusion on the second question:
Thus, interpersonal conflicts are conflicts between individuals in the process in the process of their social and psychological interaction. The causes of such conflicts are both socio-psychological and personal, associated with the loss and distortion of information in the process of interpersonal communication, unbalanced role interaction between two people, differences in the methods of assessing each other's activities and personality, etc., tense interpersonal relationships, the desire for power. , psychological incompatibility. Interpersonal conflict in its development goes through the following stages: pre-conflict situation, incident, escalation, culmination, completion and post-conflict situation.
