Managing Conflict and Relationships Dynamics

Conflict

Interaction between interdependent people with contradictory goals.

Conflict Management

Approach to engaging and addressing disagreements.

Unproductive Conflict

Poorly managed conflict causing negative impacts.

Productive Conflict

Effectively managed conflict leading to positive outcomes.

Conflict Triggers

Situations that may lead to conflict.

Power Dynamics

Influence of power differences on conflict management.

Defensive Climate

Environment where individuals feel threatened.

Supportive Climate

Environment allowing honest examination of conflict.

Collectivist Cultures

Emphasize group identity and collective needs.

Individualist Cultures

Prioritize personal needs over group identity.

Cyberbullying

Aggressive online conflict through multiple digital attacks.

Trolling

Provocative posts to elicit reactions from audiences.

Conflict strategies

Sets of goals and tactics for managing conflict.

Escapist Strategies

Prevent or avoid conflict; can be unproductive.

Avoiding

Not expressing needs or grievances in conflict.

Obliging

Yielding to others' wants to avoid conflict.

Competitive Strategies

Promote individual objectives over others' desires.

Direct fighting

Views conflict as win or lose battles.

Assertiveness

Can become verbal aggressiveness if misused.

Indirect fighting

Passive aggression; avoids open confrontation.

Cooperative Strategies

Benefit all parties involved in conflict resolution.

Compromising

Finding middle ground; both parties give up something.

Collaborating

Win-win solution; fully satisfies both parties.

Reconciliation

De-escalate conflict; restore relationships.

Apology

Admitting wrongdoing and taking responsibility.

Forgiveness

Emotional transformation; moving beyond the conflict.

Interpersonal Relationships

Connections and interdependence between communicators.

Interpersonal Communication

Exchange of messages to build relationships.

Impersonal Communication

Messages not designed to build relationships.

Relational Networks

Webs of relationships connecting individuals.

Family Relationships

Basic relationships bound by blood or commitment.

Friendship

Close, mutually satisfying relationship between two people.

Social Relationships

Functional relationships within specific contexts.

Romantic Relationships

Involves love, emotional ties, commitment, and intimacy.

Social Information Processing Theory

Online cues develop relationships similar to face-to-face.

Parasocial Interaction (PSI)

Feeling close to celebrities or fictional characters.

Proximity

Physical or virtual nearness influencing relationship formation.

Costs and Rewards

Advantages and disadvantages of interpersonal relationships.

Extrinsic Rewards

External benefits like social status or connections.

Intrinsic Rewards

Personal satisfaction from intimacy exchanges.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Focus on decreasing uncertainty about relational partners.

Passive strategies

Gathering information without direct interaction.

Active strategies

Obtaining information through a third person.

Interactive strategies

Gaining information via direct conversation.

Self-disclosure

Divulging personal information in relationships.

Social penetration theory (SPT)

Explains progression from superficial to intimate sharing.

Strategic topic avoidance

Avoiding undesirable conversation topics.

Turning points

Significant events that define relationships.

Initiating stage

First contact with another person.

Exploratory stage

Seeking superficial information from a partner.

Intensification stage

Increased intimacy and personal self-disclosure.

Stable stage

Comfortable understanding of partner's preferences.

Bonding

Sharing formal messages about relationship importance.

Declining stage

When a relationship begins to deteriorate.

Termination stage

The end of a relationship.

Reconciliation

Repairing or rekindling terminated relationships.