Assessment 1: Interpersonal Conflict
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• Write a 2-3 page article on interpersonal conflict. Define conflict and explain how communication behaviors and individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict. Recommend a strategy for resolving interpersonal conflict.
Introduction
What is conflict? Why does it occur? What can be done to prevent it, and—perhaps more importantly—what can we learn from conflict? How can we transform conflict situations from negative to positive?
Conflict arises due to varied perspectives, belief systems, and values. It is natural and common to disagree and to experience conflict. However, there are important differences between constructive and destructive conflict. One tool for examining destructive conflict is what Hocker, Berry, and Wilmot (2022) describe as “the four horsemen” of destructive conflict—criticizing, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt (p. 23).
Communication behaviors also play a critical role in conflict. Krauss and Morsella describe four paradigms of communication (as cited in Coleman, Deutsch, & Marcus, 2014). These paradigms are encoding/decoding, intentionalist, perspective-talking, and dialogic.
References
Coleman, P., Deutsch, M., & Marcus, C. (Eds.). (2014). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Hocker, J. L., Berry K., & Wilmot, W. W. (2022). Interpersonal conflict (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Demonstration of Proficiency
Conflict is part of our daily lives. Preparing yourself with the needed skills to handle conflict enhances your interpersonal skills and relationships. To understand conflict, you must begin by knowing what it is and how it affects your life.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
• Competency 2: Apply theoretical perspectives on conflict.
o Define conflict.
o Describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.
• Competency 3: Apply appropriate strategies to reduce or resolve conflicts.
o Recommend a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict.
• Competency 4: Analyze the impact of conflict on relationship building in face-to-face, virtual, cyber, and group
• communication.
o Explain how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships.
o Explain how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.
• Competency 6: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
o Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Preparation
Search the Capella library and the Internet for scholarly, professional, or other appropriate resources that address the topic of interpersonal conflict. Keep in mind that Wikipedia is not considered an appropriate resource. You will need at least two resources to support your work in this assessment.
Instructions
This assessment will be scored on the following criteria:
6. Define conflict.
7. Describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.
8. Explain how communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships.
9. Explain how individual differences contribute to interpersonal conflict.
10. Recommend a strategy to resolve interpersonal conflict.
11. Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate APA format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Suppose you have been asked to write an article on interpersonal conflict for a local organization with which you are affiliated. You may choose any type of interpersonal conflict, such as between spouses, among family members, between members of a social group, or other, but your focus must be interpersonal conflict.
Complete the following:
• Define the term conflict. Do not simply copy a definition from a source!
o What does conflict mean to you?
o How does that compare with how others define conflict?
• Describe communication behaviors that can lead to conflict.
• Explain how the communication behaviors affect interpersonal relationships. Be sure to consider communication behaviors in a variety of situations. Explain what conflict means. Don’t just copy a definition from somewhere else!
o What do you think conflict means?
o How does that differ from how other people talk about conflict?
• Describe ways of communicating that can lead to problems.
• Explain how the communication styles affect the relationships between people. Be sure to think about how you communicate in different situations.
• Explain how differences in gender, age, culture, race, and so on can contribute to interpersonal conflict.
• Recommend at least one strategy that can be used to resolve interpersonal conflict.
Because this is an article for publication, format your assessment following APA guidelines.
Additional Requirements
• Submit 2–3 typed, double-spaced pages, not including title and reference pages.
• Use 12-point, Times New Roman font.
• Include a title page and reference page.
• Cite at least two current scholarly or professional resources.
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