COMM 245 Lecture 10: COMM 245 COMM 245 CHAPTER 11 INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT (Acio)
CHAPTER 11 INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
➢The Nature of Interpersonal Conflict
○Interpersonal Conflict: an expressed struggle between at least two
interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and
interference from the other party in achieving their goals
■Must be EXPRESSED
■Both people cannot have what they want at the same time
➢Conflict in Personal Relationships
○In relationships, conflict:
■Is natural
■Has content, relational, and procedural dimensions
●What the conflict is about, how our identities affect what we are
talking about, and how we are conflicted
■Can be direct or indirect
■Can be harmful
■Can be beneficial
○Common topics of of conflict in marriage
■Personal criticism
■Finance
■Chores
■Children
■Employment
■In-laws
■Sex
■Use of time
○Sex/Gender affect conflict
■Girls and women are socialized to “play nice” and avoid conflict
■Boys/Men are encouraged to engage in conflict directly, using competitive
or aggressive behaviors, but also not to hurt women
■Passive aggression and demand-withdraw patterns frequently characterize
conflict between women and men
○Culture can affect conflict
■Individualistic cultures teach people to stand up for themselves
■Collectivist cultures encourage accommodation
■Cross-cultural conflict is common because of different traditions and
expectations
○Conflict can be common online
