Interpersonal conflict: an example. types of conflicts. ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts

Conflict in interpersonal relationships is a confrontation between rivals or groups of people when an ongoing event is perceived by them as a problem and requires a solution in someone’s favor or becomes beneficial for all participants. The emergence of interpersonal conflict shows that there are disagreements between people, which are expressed in communication, personal ambitions and interests are affected.

How does conflict arise in interpersonal relationships? There are plenty of reasons for the emergence of conflicts between people, and they stem from a specific situation and are associated with the character traits of opponents and the relationships that connect them.

Conflicts in interpersonal relationships have their own specificity, which distinguishes them from other types of controversial issues. Namely:

• Each side persistently proves that it is right, using the opponent’s accusations, while neglecting to justify its views with facts.
• The conflicting parties are dominated by negative emotions that they are unable to restrain.
• Lack of adequacy and aggression of conflicting participants. Negativity remains even after the end of the confrontation.

The causes of interpersonal conflicts may vary depending on the characteristics of their participants. For example, conflicts in adolescence are characterized by:

• A sense of inflated self-esteem, if it is hurt, the teenager begins to defend himself, quarreling with peers and adults.
• Certainty and categoricalness - everything that goes against one’s own concepts and beliefs is criticized.
• Biased requirements - overestimated or underestimated, as well as poor confidence in one’s own strengths and capabilities.
• Teenage maximalism is a lack of internal balance, which contributes to tension in communication with others.

Family conflicts also have their own specifics. They can arise due to contrasting characters, different understandings of family foundations, delegation of responsibilities and methods of raising children, confrontation between the older generation and grandchildren. But family conflict is usually viewed as the emergence of conflicting insinuations between spouses.

The emergence of interpersonal conflict as a stage of its development

Conflicts often accompany people, in their minds they are identified with a certain threat, aggression, contradiction, even war, which may arise at a given moment in a society or group.
This gives rise to the idea that any conflict is undesirable and must be prevented. Thus, if conflicts arise in any area, it affects the productivity of a person. For example, if an employee is in a conflict situation, this automatically affects his performance, since he tries to find a way out of the current situation and switches his energy to fighting the conflict, that is, real or imagined obstacles that haunt him. At the same time, he falls into a special psychological state called frustration.

Interpersonal conflicts can arise during direct communication between people, expressing the contradictions that arise between them. For example, if the interests of employers and subordinates do not correspond to each other, a special, tense situation arises between them, during which they cannot satisfy each other’s interests and needs. Due to this, the social connections that have arisen are disrupted, which, in turn, violates the stability of the social system.

However, the conditions for the emergence of interpersonal conflicts are determined, among other things, by individual characteristics. Every organization has employees who have specific characteristics, including psychological ones. For example, many have a high tendency to dominate, compete with each other, strive to gain social recognition and leadership, and earn authority. Such people tend to subjectively evaluate the actions of others.

For example, a salesperson, finding himself in a conflict situation, finds himself under strong emotional stress and strives to find a way out of it, experiencing a nervous breakdown, anxiety, and stress. He switches his activities to fighting the conflict, even if it is imaginary. This is how frustration manifests itself. A person strives by any means to win his case, to take revenge on the person who caused the conflict, in an active or passive form.

Conflicts between an individual and a group arise when an individual takes a position that differs for some reason from the position of the group. For example, an employer takes disciplinary action against its employees, in which case the group may change its attitude towards him and reduce performance in response to the measures taken.

According to the degree of openness, interpersonal conflicts are divided into several categories: open, hidden and potential

• The first group is pronounced clashes, accompanied by quarrels, disputes, etc.
• The second group does not involve strong expression; indirect methods of interaction are often used. This position is typical of individuals when they do not have the strength and resources to conduct an open struggle.
• The third group assumes the presence of a conflict situation, but there is no clash between people. There is only open confrontation, the events of which develop slowly until one of the parties to the conflict initiates an open clash.

Figure 2. Structure of interpersonal conflicts. Author24 - online exchange of student work

Conflict culture of personality

Regardless of whether there are international conflicts, examples of which most clearly demonstrate the destructive nature of the conflicting behavior of the parties; or we are talking about a minor quarrel between work colleagues, the optimal way out seems extremely significant. The ability of the opposing parties to find compromises in a complex disputed situation, to restrain their own destructive behavior, to see possible prospects for further cooperation with real opponents - all these factors are the key to a possible favorable outcome. At the same time, no matter how important the total role of state policy, economic and cultural-legal systems in society is, the origins of this trend are in certain specific individuals. Just like a river begins with small streams.

We are talking about a conflictological culture of personality. The corresponding concept includes the ability and desire of an individual to prevent and resolve social conflicts (Samsonova N.V.). In this case, it is advisable to recall the concept of “constructive conflict”. Examples of modern conflicts (given their aggravated and large-scale nature) demonstrate, rather, the absence of any constructiveness in conflict interaction. In this regard, the concept of conflictological culture of the individual should be considered not only and not so much as one of the conditions for the optimal resolution of controversial situations in society, but also as the most important factor in the socialization of the personality of every modern individual.

Causes and prerequisites for the emergence of interpersonal conflicts in an organization

When characterizing the interpersonal conflicts that develop in an organization, it seems appropriate to analyze the issue of those causes and prerequisites that contribute to their emergence and development in the conditions of the work collective.

Thus, in general terms, the relevant reasons are divided into objective and subjective. The first of these categories includes the circumstances and features of the interaction of people in a team that exist in objective reality, leading to open opposition and collision of their ideas, interests and needs.

In turn, subjective reasons are factors associated with the individual psychological characteristics of opponents, as a result of which they choose a conflict method for resolving a particular situation that arises in the process of joint work.

Finally, speaking about the prerequisites for interpersonal conflicts in an organization, we note that the following are generally considered to be among these in the specialized literature:

• Imperfect organization of the labor process, poor working conditions, lack of tools to stimulate self-development and improve the quality of activities;
• Ineffective and irrational management decisions;
• The impossibility of fulfilling the requirements imposed on employees by management, which leads to a decrease in motivation for effective work;
• General unfavorable psycho-emotional situation in the work team, etc.

Principles of conduct

Intrapersonal conflict in psychology - types, causes and consequences

Experts identify 5 main behavioral models:

1. Competitive - people try to put their own interests above others.
2. Adaptive - one is ready to give in to the other.
3. Avoidant – the individual tries with all his might to get away from the confrontation.
4. Compromise - both sides are ready to make concessions.
5. Collaborative - all parties to the conflict try to resolve it in such a way that everyone wins.

Classification of conflicts by impact on the activities of a group or organization

In terms of their impact on the activities of a group or organization, conflicts can be constructive or destructive.

Constructive (functional) conflicts are conflicts that lead to the adoption of informed decisions and contribute to the development of relations between the subjects of the conflict. As a rule, the following several functional consequences of conflicts are identified:

• The conflict is resolved in a way that suits all parties to the conflict; each party feels involved in resolving the problem;
• A decision made jointly is implemented as quickly and easily as possible;
• The parties involved in the conflict master the skill of effective cooperation when resolving problematic issues;
• If a conflict has arisen between subordinates and managers, then the practice of conflict resolution makes it possible to destroy the “submissive syndrome”, when a person occupying a lower position has a fear of expressing his point of view if it differs from that of people with a higher status;
• Relationships between people become better;
• Participants in the conflict no longer view disagreements as something negative and leading to negative consequences.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of constructive conflict is a common work situation: a manager and a subordinate cannot come to an agreement on any issue regarding their joint activities. After a conversation and each participant expressing their opinion, a compromise is found, and the manager and subordinate find a common language, and their relationship acquires a positive tone.

Destructive (dysfunctional) conflicts are conflicts that impede the making of competent decisions and effective interaction between the subjects of the conflict. The dysfunctional consequences of conflicts are the following:

• Competitive, adversarial relationships between people;
• Lack of desire for positive relationships and cooperation;
• Perception of the opponent as an enemy, his position - exclusively as incorrect, and one’s own - exclusively as correct;
• The desire to reduce and even completely stop any interaction with the opponent’s side;
• The belief that winning a conflict is more important than finding a common solution;
• Bad mood, negative emotions, feeling of dissatisfaction.

EXAMPLE: Examples of unconstructive conflict include war, any manifestations of physical violence, family quarrels, etc.

The main causes of interpersonal conflicts

1. Dissatisfaction with material and spiritual benefits
   . If a person lacks the necessary resources in quantitative or qualitative terms, he tries to make up for them in another way, where there is a high risk of developing interpersonal conflict.
2. Mutual interests
   . In a group where the goals of the participants converge, but the methods of achieving the task have some differences, a number of confrontations may arise. The person is unable to fulfill some of his needs in work or personal relationships. This should include conflict situations at work, problems with subordination of subordinates and mentors, family disagreements, and family quarrels.
3. Individual 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 requires a compromise solution.
4. Value features of the issue
   . This type of confrontation is based on dissimilar motivational approaches to the same issue due to different psychological attitudes and priorities.
5. Course of action
   . Develops due to the absence of stereotypes and manners of certain behavior in one of the opponents. This may be due to lack of experience or inability to perform the necessary actions. Often causes conflicts at work or school.
6. Communication
   . Inconsistency between the communication abilities of one person and another, non-compliance with the rules of dialogue, subordination and tact.
7. Character
   . The cause of the conflict is specific personal characteristics that the other individual dislikes.

Person versus another person

When a protagonist (positive hero) and an antagonist (negative hero) confront each other in a book, this, in essence, is a “man against man” conflict.
It is not always immediately obvious which of them is which, but in this type of literary conflict there are always two heroes or two groups of people whose goals and intentions are opposite. Such a conflict is resolved when one hero overcomes an obstacle created by the other. For example, in the book “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, the main character on her way has to deal with numerous characters and get out of the difficulties they create. Another example is Susan Hinton's novel Outcasts, which depicts two gangs of teenagers at war with each other.

Approaches to Understanding Interpersonal Conflict

Definition 1

In modern psychological literature, interpersonal conflict is understood as an open clash between individuals caused by incompatibility, inconsistency of their goals at a specific time period in a specific situation; a situation based on a contradiction perceived by opponents as a significant psychological problem that provokes the activity of the parties and requires resolution.

The object of the conflict is what the opponents claim, what they are fighting for. The subject of interpersonal conflict is the emergence of opposing interests, views, opinions and the contradiction caused by them.

Peculiarities

The first side of an interpersonal conflict is the object of the dispute .

The second side is the psychological part (the level of intelligence of the participants, upbringing).

This is what distinguishes interpersonal conflicts from political ones .

This makes conflicts between individuals so different and different from each other. People are drawn into the conflict completely, showing all their characteristics in it.

Quite often, the psychological side obscures the subject of the dispute, it becomes less important, everything turns into mutual reproaches. In a conflict, neither side tries to understand the opposite , transferring all responsibility to the opponent, removing it from themselves.

What is conflictology?

Conflictology is a discipline that studies the patterns of processes such as the emergence, development, resolution and completion of conflict.

One of the people who laid the foundations of the general theory of conflict was Karl Marx. He developed the doctrine of contradiction and developed a model of social change. After him, the foundations of the doctrine of conflict were formulated by the American sociologist Jonathan Turner. In addition, the American sociologist Lewis Coser and the German sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel made a huge contribution to the development of conflictology science. If we study other sources, we can conclude that mainly sociologists, psychologists and political scientists took part in the development of conflictology in general, both in our country and abroad.

However, several significant circumstances allow us to draw a line between domestic and foreign conflictology:

• Abroad, attempts to create a theory of conflict were made back in the 19th century.
• Abroad, more approaches are used to study conflicts
• Abroad, conflictology is taught at the largest universities
• Bachelor's and Master's degrees in conflict management are available abroad
• Abroad, conflictology is a science, mainly of an applied nature.

As for domestic conflictology, the first publications on this topic appeared only in the 20s of the 20th century (the first work dates back to 1924; its authors are M. I. Mogilevsky and P. O. Griffin). In these works, the problem of conflicts was first identified as an independent one, and the term “conflict” already appears in the titles themselves. And as a separate science, conflictology took shape in Russia in the early 90s. At present, Russian researchers are paying more and more attention to conflictology and the problem of conflict.

Now the time has come to say a few words about the central concept of conflictology - conflict.

Conflict in its general understanding is the most acute way to resolve contradictions in views, goals, and interests that arise during social interaction. The essence of the conflict lies in the confrontation between its participants, accompanied by negative emotions. Often this confrontation goes beyond social norms and rules.

But conflictology distinguishes between two main types of conflicts - social conflict and intrapersonal conflict.

Social conflict is the most acute way of developing and resolving contradictions that are important for people that arise during their interaction. The essence of such a conflict is similar to the essence expressed in the above definition of conflict.

Intrapersonal conflict is an acute negative experience caused by a long-term struggle of the internal psychological structures of the individual, reflecting the contradictory connections of a person with the social environment, and also complicating and delaying decision-making.

The ability to recognize and prevent the occurrence of conflict, as well as to manage and neutralize it, opens up enormous opportunities for a person. It allows any person not only to effectively resolve problematic situations and successfully get out of difficult situations associated with conflicts, but also to anticipate potentially dangerous situations and take appropriate actions to suppress them. By and large, such a skill can make a person’s life more harmonious, painted in brighter colors and filled with predominantly positive emotions. Of course, we should not idealize, but if all people on the planet applied the principles of effective conflict prevention and resolution in their lives, then, for sure, there would be less disagreement, hatred, and wars in the world.

Here is a simple example at the everyday level: if, for example, two family members do not know conflict resolution skills, then if a dispute, misunderstanding, or disagreement arises, the situation with a high degree of probability can develop into a serious family scandal, the result of which can simply be negative emotions of people towards to each other, and complete discord and even a break in family relationships. But when at least one person has the skills of conflict management, he is able, firstly, to prevent the situation from getting out of control and leading to devastating consequences, and secondly, to make sure that it does not appear at all, because he can recognize it before it even appears. And this can be applied not only to the area of ​​family relationships, but also to any other.

Managing Emotions

When you are overwhelmed with emotions, it is better to restrain them rather than be led by them. If they do come out, let go of your fears and resentments. Have your say. If awkwardness appears after an emotional outburst, then it is better to leave. But this does not mean that admitting defeat is just a reason to continue to establish dialogue. A creative and flexible view of the situation is one of the methods of managing a collision.

When the conflict situation subsides, then when leaving it, ask for forgiveness. It will help restore relationships and extinguish negative emotions. Words that correctly reflect the situation will not humiliate you or your partner. When joint actions have not resolved the conflict situation, all that remains is to move on to independent actions.

In order to effectively manage and maneuver in controversial situations, you need to develop understanding. This will allow you to think and discuss problems more constructively. But only if a person lives in the present, is calm and knows how to clearly respond to changing situations. You can learn to manage conflict only with personal experience and constant internal growth.

When is it better to avoid conflict situations?

If the prerequisites for a controversial situation to arise, it is worth thinking about whether it is really necessary to go into conflict in interpersonal relationships? Briefly: if your own benefit is not affected and it is difficult to prove that you are right, then there is no point in starting to argue. You should not argue with a person if it is clear that his mental potential is inferior to yours. "Don't argue with a fool." It is useless to prove anything to such a person.

Before entering into conflict, you should think about what you will get in the end? How does conflict occur in interpersonal relationships? What consequences can it lead to and what will it result in? And will you be able to defend your position and point of view? Therefore, it is worth bringing the emotional outburst back to normal and, with calm thoughts and a sober approach to assessing the current situation.

The conflict involves people who simply need a correct understanding of each other. But they are hampered by a lack of trust in each other. Therefore, it is so necessary to create an atmosphere of fruitful communication. And it is useful to adopt this law of communication: competition leads to the birth of competition. The method of managing and completing collisions comes down to following some rules.

Identifying the problem. An attempt to find a solution mutually acceptable to the conflicting participants. Listen to the parties, paying attention to what is said, and not focusing on personal characteristics. Clarify the correctness of the understanding of what the interlocutor said. Convey to the other side in paraphrased form the meaning of the information heard. When receiving information, do not interrupt the speaker, exclude criticism and recommendations. Clarify the information received, its accuracy and do not proceed to new messages. It is important to maintain a trusting atmosphere and sincerity. Actively involve nonverbal communication: eye contact, nodding your head as a sign of approval.

Ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts

Resolution of any conflict is possible thanks to one of the following strategies of the participants:

Evasion and avoidance. The method presupposes the absence of both concessions and insistence on being right. Doesn't help resolve the situation well. Aggressive interpersonal methods of conflict resolution are coercive and confrontational. When used, the defeated party will feel dissatisfied after the conflict subsides. Smoothing and compliance

In such a situation, it is important for partners to preserve the existing relationship to the detriment of a real solution to the problem. Compromise or cooperation. This is the most optimal option for interaction, in which the parties try to find a way out through mutual concessions. The solution to the problem is an ideal scenario that does not involve sacrifices on the part of all participants

Rarely occurs in real life.

End of the problem

There are several ways to resolve a confrontation. Individuals can choose different strategies on their own. Sometimes the conflict dies down, but it can become active again. In some situations, interest in the fight is lost, then people have nothing more to argue about.

In some situations, third party intervention is acceptable

The main option for resolving a conflict is to find a way to eliminate the problem. To do this, they use negotiations, concessions, and compromise. Sometimes people reach a new stage of confrontation.

Involving third parties can help, although everyone may have a different idea of ​​the outcome of the conflict. Sometimes it is enough to eliminate one of the participants in the confrontation, remove the subject of the dispute, or try to agree on compromises.

Coping with stress

Stress is one of the main catalysts for conflict, so working to minimize it can significantly improve the atmosphere in the team. There are many known ways to relieve stress; methods for overcoming it have long been studied and have proven themselves to be excellent. This, in turn, makes it possible to consider various options that take into account the personal qualities of each person.

In order to maintain a high level of stress resistance, you should lead a healthy and sporty lifestyle. Don’t forget about your body after physical and mental stress and restore it, try to prevent stressful situations from occurring.

In this way, a healthy psyche is maintained for living in a social environment. Fresh air, exercise, good sleep, proper organization of the workspace, useful literature, balanced nutrition - all this plays an important role in strengthening and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A good attitude in life helps a person not to cave in under the pressure of stressful situations, and also to react less painfully to conflict situations and find the right ways to resolve them.

Man versus nature

Natural disasters, weather conditions, animals, and even the planet itself can create this type of literary conflict. The natural element in such works usually forces a person to look inside himself in order to find inner strength to resist its challenges. Nature tests the heroes, demonstrating their helplessness and mortality.

An example of the conflict between man and nature is the novel “The Revenant” by Michael Pahnke. Although the main driving force is revenge, more typical of a man-versus-man conflict, the bulk of the story revolves around Hugh Glass's journey of hundreds of miles through extreme environmental conditions. A classic novel that illustrates the conflict of man versus nature is Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Coordinating a conflict situation

Every clash that could turn into confrontation can be extinguished. If it is no longer possible to stop, then you should treat it as evenly as possible and try to come to a denominator that satisfies both opponents.

When starting to resolve tensions, it is necessary to do preparatory work and identify your tasks. When you plan to resolve the situation through negotiations, you should choose the right time for the meeting.

For sound conflict management, it is necessary not to forget about your interests and understand the benefits of your opponent. During the meeting, calmly voice your interests and clarify whether your opponent is ready to make efforts to resolve the conflict. Offer several options. And if they deviate, then you will have to work on resolving the confrontation on your own.

When the conflicting party is ready to resolve everything peacefully, decide which side you are on, yours or your opponent’s. The main thing is to understand, not to win at any cost.

The reasons that caused the clash should be calmly discussed and identified what led to the conflict:

By offering the best, there is no need to blame and attack. When defending your judgment, you should not put pressure on your opponent

Pressure is not the right behavior; it only leads to limiting the capabilities of those in conflict. It is important to watch your speech. And do not use words that humiliate a person. Avoid using the words “never” and “no way”

And remember the proverb “the word is silver, but silence is gold.” Sometimes it’s easier to leave things unsaid than to launch into a tirade that could escalate the conflict. When discussing a situation, there is no need to attack a person. You need to talk about the problem, not about personality traits. Do not cling to trifles, but solve the main issues. It is better to express your thoughts and feelings openly. Honesty and sincerity will enable your opponent to better understand and, perhaps, accept your point of view. Tell us what worries and worries you. Voiced concern is one of the stages of defending your views.

Classification of conflicts

Constructive (functional) conflicts

lead to informed decision making and promote relationship development.

The following main functional

consequences of conflicts for the organization:

1. The problem is solved in a way that suits all parties, and everyone feels involved in its solution.
2. A jointly made decision is implemented faster and better.
3. The parties gain experience in cooperation in resolving controversial issues.
4. The practice of resolving conflicts between a manager and subordinates destroys the so-called “submission syndrome” - the fear of openly expressing one’s opinion that differs from the opinion of one’s seniors.
5. Relationships between people improve.
6. People stop viewing the presence of disagreements as an “evil” that always leads to bad consequences.

Destructive (dysfunctional) conflicts

hinder effective interaction and decision making.

Major dysfunctional

the consequences of conflicts are:

1. Unproductive, competitive relationships between people.
2. Lack of desire for cooperation and good relationships.
3. The idea of ​​the opponent as an “enemy”, his position as only negative, and his position as exclusively positive.
4. Reducing or completely stopping interaction with the opposite party.
5. The belief that “winning” a conflict is more important than solving the real problem.
6. Feeling resentful, dissatisfied, bad mood.

Realistic conflicts

are caused by the failure to satisfy certain demands of the participants or the unfair, in the opinion of one or both parties, distribution of any advantages between them.

Unrealistic conflicts

have as their goal the open expression of accumulated negative emotions, grievances, and hostility, that is, acute conflict interaction here becomes not a means of achieving a specific result, but an end in itself.

Intrapersonal conflict

occurs when there is no agreement between various psychological factors of the individual’s inner world: needs, motives, values, feelings, etc. Such conflicts associated with work in an organization can take various forms, but most often it is a role conflict, when different A person's roles place different demands on him. For example, being a good family man (the role of father, mother, wife, husband, etc.), a person should spend evenings at home, and his position as a manager may oblige him to stay late at work. Here the cause of the conflict is the mismatch between personal needs and production requirements.

Interpersonal conflict

- This is the most common type of conflict. It manifests itself in different ways in organizations. However, the cause of the conflict is not only differences in the characters, views, and behavior patterns of people (that is, subjective reasons); most often, such conflicts are based on objective reasons. Most often, this is a struggle for limited resources (materials, equipment, production space, labor, etc.). Everyone believes that it is he, and not someone else, who needs resources. Conflicts also arise between a manager and a subordinate, for example, when a subordinate is convinced that the manager makes unreasonable demands on him, and the manager believes that the subordinate does not want to work to his full potential.

Conflict between individual and group

occurs when one of the members of the organization violates the norms of behavior or communication that have developed in informal groups. This type also includes conflicts between the group and the leader, which are most difficult with an authoritarian leadership style.

Intergroup conflict

is a conflict between the formal and (or) informal groups that make up the organization. For example, between the administration and ordinary employees, between employees of various departments, between the administration and the trade union.

Social conflict

- this is the emergence of a contradiction between any components of the social structure (people, social groups) or a clash due to the similarity of the desire to possess something valuable for the conflicting parties. Subjects of the conflict (participants): Instigators.

Psychology and concept

What is interpersonal conflict?

​Interpersonal conflict is a conflict between individuals in the course of their psychological or social interaction.

Usually during such conflicts there is an exchange of accusations.

During an interpersonal conflict, the parties remove all blame from themselves , shifting responsibility to the partner with whom the conflict occurs.

This does not solve the situation, since the accusation itself fuels the conflict, and it flares up with even greater force.