Training Students in Conflict Resolution Skills

McFarland, W.P. & Culp, W.H. (1991). Interpersonal skill training for effective conflict resolution. The School Counselor, 39, 304-310.

The authors cited several studies showing that high school students are confronted by a variety of problems which could be better handled through development of interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills. Based on this need and a review of findings in the conflict resolution literature, they developed and tested a program designed to train students in these two skill areas. The efficacy of the development program was tested by comparing a group of training students with a group of non-trained students on an organizational conflict instrument. This instrument measured: (1) degree of direct communication about disagreement (control behavior); (2) degree of withdrawal or avoidance of conflict (nonconfrontation behavior); and (3) degree to which one attempts, through direct communication, to reach a solution that integrates the needs of both parties (solution-oriented behavior).

Findings indicated that: (1) trained female students evidenced more nonconfrontational behavior than non-trained female students; and (2) regardless of training, females reported more solution-oriented behaviors than males. Based on findings, it was concluded that trained females had not developed skills to the point where differences occurred in their OCCI responses; and (2) males, in general, require more development/training of solution-orie

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cal education department and interpersonal communication, e.g. speaking with parents and/or the general community about the school's sports program. Observation #2 The second observation was one of an ineffective communication involving a red-cross instructor teaching mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to three ladies. This observation was conducted at the high school auditorium and lasted about twenty minutes. Observed behaviors included the instructor modelling the desired behaviors on a dummy. Frequently, he would stop after a particular behavior in order to make a point about it, then he would go on to the next behavior in the sequence, and so forth. The ladies asked questions which the instructor answered. The communication was ineffective primarily because the instructor was not a good listener. When the ladies asked questions, he often interrupted them with fairly negative remarks such as, "If you had really watched what I was doing, you wouldn't have asked me that." At other times, he simply interrupted the ladies' questions in order to finish their sentences for them, obviously believing that he knew what they were about to say. He seemed impatient and critical and no one seemed to be at ease. This instructor needs trai

Category: Psychology - T