Respondents are asked to choose a particular conflict that was meaningful to them. (in organizational contexts they are asked to think of a conflict that occurred at work.) They then describe how they responded to the conflict. Following are sample items -- respondents indicate the extent to which they engaged in these behaviors, thoughts or feelings.
Respondents also indicate the extent to which outcomes such as the following happened as a result of the conflict:
- I gathered facts that supported by point of view.
- I took the conflict personally.
- I tried to be tactful.
- We worked together to solve the problem.
- I trusted the other person.
The items are clustered into 10 scales representing how the person approached the conflict and one scale representing how destructive or constructive the outcomes of the conflict were. Each respondent receives a report that summarizes their conflict resolution approach in each conflict described.
- Damaged relationships.
- Wounded egos.
- More conflict.
- Shared responsibility for the conflict or problem.
- Closer relationships.
- A better solution than we originally had.
Groups receive a report that summarizes what their conflicts are about, who they are with, how they are handling them, and how their constructive conflicts differ from their destructive conflicts.
Follow these links to view samples from the reports:
Individual report sample pageSummary of Specifications
Group report sample page
Completion time: Approximately 30 minutes to describe two conflicts; respondents can stop after describing one conflict or continue on if they are interested in describing a second conflict.
Number of items: 66 per conflict
Completion method: Paper and pencil booklet. Online version forthcoming.
Number of scales: 11
Median alpha scale reliability: .71
Scoring method: Computer
Time to Process: 1-5 day turnaround