Power imbalance and anticipation of conflict resolution: Positive and negative attributes of perceptual recall

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of power imbalance on the relationship between perceived communication behaviors and the anticipation of conflict resolution. The subjects were 120 students who responded to a survey questionnaire in which they evaluated a conflict in which they were engaged. They were divided into three groups (high power, low power, equal power) based upon their responses to the survey. Correlational analysis indicated that when the participants in the conflict were of equal power, anticipated resolution was related to perceptions of both solution‐oriented and control behavior. However, in cases of power imbalance, solution‐oriented behavior was the only significant cue identified, and it was used by both low‐and high‐power participants.