The Role of Mediation Strategies in Solving Interpersonal Conflicts

Date01 September 2015
Published date01 September 2015
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21131
C R Q, vol. 33, no. 1, Fall 2015 35
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the Association for Confl ict Resolution
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/crq.21131
The Role of Mediation Strategies in Solving
Interpersonal Con icts
Milana R. Khachaturova
Daria M. Poimanova
We discuss the role of mediation strategies in solving interpersonal con-
icts. Our results proved that the effi ciency of the mediator’s strategy
diff ers depending on whether the confl ict takes place in a separate dyad
or in a dyad within a social group.  e pressing strategy appeared to be
the most eff ective when compared with others in solving confl icts that
had arisen in a dyad within a social group.  e facilitating strategy
appeared to be the most eff ective in comparison with others in solving
confl icts that had arisen in a separate dyad.
This article examines the role of mediation strategies in solving inter-
personal confl icts. We consider solving interpersonal confl icts as
disputants’ choice of the facilitating strategy and model three mediation
strategies in our experimental design: facilitating, neutral, and pressing.
e sample for our study consisted of 312 participants: 179 young
women and 133 young men, upperclassmen in high school.  e partici-
pants ranged in age from 14 to 18 years old (the median age was 16.7). In
addition, 18 specifi cally instructed experimenters performed the role of the
mediator. Our experimental study was divided into two sets based on two
conditions: a group and separate dyads based on diff erent ways of solving
confl icts.  e main goal of the experiment was to create a confl ict situation
by means of a game situation simulating confl ict for a limited resource.
is resource was a high grade, which parties could obtain only by solving
the crossword puzzle containing biological words.
e study’s results showed that the mediator’s strategy has an impact on
the process of solving interpersonal confl icts. Our results proved that the
effi ciency of the mediator’s strategy diff ers depending on whether it is in a
36 KHACHATUROVA, POIMANOVA
C R Q • DOI: 10.1002/crq
confl ict in a separate dyad or in a confl ict arising in a dyad within a social
group.  e pressing strategy appeared to be the most eff ective when com-
pared with others in solving an interpersonal confl ict that had arisen in a
dyad within a social group.  e facilitating strategy appeared to be the most
eff ective in comparison with others in solving an interpersonal confl ict that
had arisen in a separate dyad.  e results of this study can be used in the
development of methodical guidelines for teachers, who often act as media-
tors in solving confl icts among teenagers, and for the teenagers themselves.
Introduction
Confl icts often arise under conditions of limited resources, when parties
believe that both sides’ needs cannot be satisfi ed at the same time (Pruitt
and Rubin 1986). Mediation plays a large role in solving interpersonal
confl icts. We consider mediation as a process in which a mediator can only
evaluate, facilitate, and assist the disputants in the search for a solution sat-
isfying both parties; they cannot decide what that solution will be (Baker
and Ross 1992). A mediator has no authority to dictate an agreement or
has the authority but chooses not to use it (Kressel and Pruitt 1989).
Mediators face a great number of professional challenges related to
building a successful mediation practice (Raines, Pokhrel, and Poitras
2013). Deep interpersonal confl ict requires an enormous amount of skill
to mediate. A mediator can intervene in many ways, and his or her success
in encouraging the parties to reach an agreement may depend on a variety
of intervention strategies.
Mediators’ Strategies in Solving Con icts
A mediator’s behavior is critical in determining the success or failure of
mediation. Scholars categorize a mediator’s behavior into diff erent types
of strategies he or she may use with the parties in confl ict (Bercovitch and
Houston 1993). Approximately twenty-fi ve have been reported, including
evaluative (Della Noce 2009; Riskin 1996; Wall and Chan-Serafi n 2014),
pressing (Carnevale and Pruitt 1992; Wall and Chan-Serafi n 2014), neutral
(Kydd 2003; Wall and Chan-Serafi n 2014), facilitating (Gabel 2003; Kres-
sel 2007; Riskin 1996), narrative (Hardy 2008), problem solving (Harper
2006), strategic (Kressel 2007), pragmatic (Alberstein 2007), transforma-
tive (Bush and Folger 1994; Kressel 2007), deal making and orchestration
(Kolb 1983), and trust caucus (Poitras 2013).

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT