This third application analysis will focus on the power dynamics and conflict management styles used in the conflicts defined in the first application analysis (Identify Conflicts). You will be collaborating with your classmates to analyze the power dynamics and style usage of the parties in these conflicts.
To receive full credit for this assignment, you must post TWO TIMES in this discussion board and label each one with (a) the party you are focusing on (e.g. “Dwight” or “Batman”), and (b) what aspect of their experience you are analyzing (see below for possible options; e.g. goal shifting, metaphors). Your posts may respond directly to a conflict (i.e. original posts), or they may be replies to a classmate. At least one of your posts must be a reply to a classmate, but there is no minimum for original posts. In other words, all your posts may be replies to classmates. Replies must still use a label. Each post should be 3-5 sentences long (medium length).
Styles
Dual Concerns. What conflict management styles did each party use, according to the dual concerns model? Provide some evidence.
vanDeVliert Euwema. Where does each party’s conflict management style rank on van de Vliert and Euwema’s agreeableness and activeness scales?
Change. How did the parties’ conflict management styles change over time?
Coordination. How did the parties’ styles interact? For example, were their style choices primarily symmetrical or complementary? How so?
(Dis)advantages. What were the advantages and disadvantages of each style in this particular conflict?
Strategy. Did the participants appear to strategize about their conflict management tactics, or remain spontaneous. How so?
Marriage
Gottman Style. Choose a party, and identify which of the three marital conflict management styles they are using. Provide examples to support your claim.
Marital Success – Style. Gottman proposes that there are three predictors to marital satisfaction and/or divorce (style, horsemen, ratio). Based on your own observations of the marital conflict style match of the partners, does the couple’s communication dynamic line up with Gottman’s proposal? How so? (note – you may choose to apply this to couples who are not married)
Marital Success – Horsemen. Gottman proposes that there are three predictors to marital satisfaction and/or divorce (style, horsemen, ratio). Based on your own observations of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, does the couple’s communication dynamic line up with Gottman’s proposal? How so? (note – you may choose to apply this to couples who are not married)
Marital Success – Ratio. Gottman proposes that there are three predictors to marital satisfaction and/or divorce (style, horsemen, ratio). Based on your own observations of the ratio of positive to negative interactions, does the couple’s communication dynamic line up with Gottman’s proposal? How so? (note – you may choose to apply this to couples who are not married)
Be sure you are replying to one of the conflict posts below. We will be using these conflicts in our discussion – do not choose a new or different conflict of your analysis.
When replying to a classmate, you may choose to use the same title as them providing more depth to their interpretation, or disagreeing with their interpretation. Your reply may also have a different title. For example, you may reply to to someone’s Strategy post with a Coordination post. The content of the reply should be related to the post you’re replying to, but the label does not need to overlap at all.
