Competence in Interpersonal Conflict

Conflict between people is a natural feature of the human condition. When people interact and form relationships, disagreements inevitably emerge, with both negative and positive consequences. How these interpersonal conflicts are managed powerfully affects our relationships, perhaps more so than any other kind of interaction behavior. To understand interpersonal conflict, we need to recognize the ways in which communication conveys problems between people. This text serves that purpose, focusing on disagreements between individuals in a variety of personal and social relationships, from friends and neighbors to roommates and coworkers. Readers will increase their competence at managing interpersonal conflicts in a variety of settings by increasing motivation, knowledge, and practical communicative skill.