
HOME	who am I	resources	course notes	FAQ	contact

COURSE NOTES: Social



	Based on the course PSY/SOC 301, taught at The Sage Colleges by Prof. Susan Cloninger. This class uses the following textbook, which provides the chapter organization that you see on the menu on the left side of this page: Myers, D. (2005). Social Psychology (8th ed.) New York: McGraw Hill.

Chapter 13:

Conflict and Peacemaking

EXERCISE [class demonstration]

CONFLICT

"a perceived incompatibility of actions or goals" (Myers, 2005, p. 520)
ex: conflict between nations; conflict in marriage

While conflict may lead to aggression, it does not always do so.

WHAT CREATES CONFLICT?

Social dilemmas

individual decisions to promote individual well-being lead to adverse social outcomes for all
ex: prisoner's dilemma

The prisoner's dilemma

the prisoner's dilemma (lab version) (graphic)

competition
cooperation
the arms race

The tragedy of the commons

(Hardin)

Other "commons" dilemmas

pollution
cookie jar in Myers's house

Many "games" are "zero-sum": that is, if one person wins, the other loses.

NON-ZERO-SUM GAMES

games in which outcomes need not sum to zero. (With cooperation, both can win. With competition, both can lose.)
ex: Prisoners' Dilemma; Commons Dilemma

Resolving social dilemmas

Regulation
Small is Beautiful
- In small communities, there is more voluntary conservation.
Communication
- Discussion increases cooperation
Changing the Payoffs
- e.g., carpool lanes
Appeals to Altruistic Norms

Competition

Game competition increases aggressive behavior.

Sherif's studies of boys' groups (Rattlers & Eagles) at camp.

Perceived injustice

equity: when outcomes/inputs are equal for everyone

Perception may be biased, as we overvalue our own inputs and devalue those of others.

Perception of gender inequity has increased over time.

Cultural differences in justice: equity; equality; fulfillment of need; seniority.

Misperception

of others' motives and goals

exaggerated sense of incompatibility

Mirror-image perceptions

(Bronfenbrenner)

tend to become self-confirming
obstacles to peace
evil leader -- good people

Simplistic thinking

simplistic thinking before wars
more complex thinking when moving toward peace

Shifting perceptions

PEACEMAKING

Contact

Does desegregation improve racial attitudes?

When does desegregation improve racial attitudes?

Friendship
Equal-status contact

Cooperation

Common external threats ("common enemy")

Sherif's studies of Eagles vs. Rattlers

Superordinate goals foster cooperation

Cooperative learning improves racial attitudes

Aronson's jigsaw classroom

Group and superordinate identities

bicultural identities, which change over generations

Communication

bargaining

(directly, through negotiation)

mediation

(through third party, which makes suggestions)

turning win-lose into win-win (integrative agreements)
unraveling misperceptions with controlled communications
trust

arbitration

(through third party, which imposes settlement)

Trucking game [graphic presented in lecture, time permitting].
- With no threat (no gate), average outcome is +2. When each company had a gate (threat), the average outcome was -9.5 (or, if they communicated, -8.4).

Conciliation

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension reduction
- announce a conciliatory intent
- carry out verifiable conciliatory acts
- maintain retaliatory capability

Applications in the real world

example of GRIT: Kennedy's reduction of atmospheric nuclear testing, leading to a test-ban treaty with Russia in 1963

John F. Kennedy (photo)

Middle East peace accord signed (old news photo)