Agreeableness and activeness as components of conflict behaviors.

The extent to which avoiding, accommodating, compromising, problem solving, indirect fighting, and 2 forms of direct fighting--issue fighting and outcome fighting--each positively or negatively relate to agreeableness and activeness is specified.

Abstract

Handling social conflict is usually described in terms of 2 dimensions that either cause the behavior (concern for one's own and others' goals) or that result from it (integration and distribution). In contrast, agreeableness and activeness are common factors of modes and taxonomies of conflict behavior that do not confound independent and dependent variables. This article specifies the extent to which avoiding, accommodating, compromising, problem solving, indirect fighting, and 2 forms of direct fighting--issue fighting and outcome fighting--each positively or negatively relate to agreeableness and activeness. Systematic observations of videotaped simulations by 82 male police sargeants handling a standardized conflict with either a subordinate or a superior supported and refined this metataxonomy.