Psychological Dynamics

Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict

Psychological Dynamics

	Psychological Dynamics In intractable conflicts, it is possible for entire societies to get tangled up in negative psychological dynamics. If these dynamics are not recognized and addressed it will become difficult or impossible to resolve the conflict.
	Limits of Rationality Negotiation theory often assumes that people in conflict behave rationally, making their decisions on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis. While rational assessment is sometimes one part of the disputants' decision making rubric, other factors usually play a significant role as well, often overriding what would be seen to be the "rational" response.
	Ethos of Conflict A community's ethos is its shared beliefs, goals and identity. Communities in an intractable conflict expand that ethos to explain their approach to the conflict. A community's ethos strongly affects how destructive the conflict becomes.
	Siege Mentality Many societies believe that other societies have negative intentions towards them. But with the "siege mentality," the situation is far more extreme. They believe that the entire world is hostile toward them.
	Delegitimization Delegitimization refers to the negative stereotypes used to describe an adversary. Delegitimization is one of the major forces that feeds violence and prevents a peaceful resolution.
	Dehumanization Dehumanization has the power to justify society's most violent and terrible impulses. If outsiders such as the Jews in Germany or the Tutsis in Rwanda are seen as less than human, then this clears the way to commit atrocities against them.
	Victimhood In the early 1930s, millions of Ukranians died under Stalin's violent policy of forced collectivization. The depth of pain, fear, and hatred that continued to characterize the Ukrainian attitude toward Russians is typical of all victimized people. This essay describes the impacts of victimization and how it affects people and their relationships over the long term.
	Cognitive Dissonance People tend to ignore or "explain away" new information that conflicts with the way they currently think. Such "cognitive dissonance" can have both constructive and destructive effects on conflict.
	Game Theory Simple mathematical models can provide insight into complex societal relationships. This essay explore some of these models, especially the prisoner's dilemma.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. -- Mark Twain

Featured Links
Organizations Making Noteworthy Contributions to Efforts to Promote More Constructive Conflict

HasNa, Inc.

Other Resources from
Beyond Intractability

Interview With Morton Deutsch
One of the founders of this field talks about his research into "malignant relationships."

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

Elie Wiesel
Former Chairman of the President's Commission on the Holocaust, and 1986 Nobel Peace Laureate

Beyond Intractability Version IV
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The Beyond Intractability Knowledge Base Project
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c/o Conflict Information Consortium (Formerly Conflict Research Consortium), University of Colorado
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