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Patterns: Temporal Trajectories of Conflict

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Attracted to Conflict: Dynamic Foundations of Destructive Social Relations

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Abstract

Despite the assumption of linear causality embedded in the last 400 years of science, it is almost impossible to predict specific outcomes in any nonlinear social system; their dynamics are too complex. Post-hoc determinations of causality can be made, but these are extremely difficult to ascertain a priori (Jones & Hughes, 2003). However, general patterns of thoughts, feelings, actions, and so on can be determined. For example, the exact behavior of a husband in a distressed couple at a given point in time cannot be predicted from knowing his attributes, initial states, and pre-existing conditions. But the pattern of his behavior in the marriage, over time, can be determined with knowledge of such parameters (see Gottman, Murray, Swanson, Tyson, & Swanson, 2002). A multi-dimensional plot of how the variables evolve in time—termed the phase space—provides a graphical image of the pattern of dynamics. A phase space may show evidence of both attractor regions (regions that are frequently occupied) and repellor regions (regions that are rarely occupied). Over time, in other words, certain behaviors become increasingly likely, habitual, and characteristic in a relationship (i.e., attractors), whereas other behaviors become increasingly unlikely and avoided (i.e., repellors). These regions can represent either positive or negative interactions (in terms of the effects on the relationship), and can be stable or unstable in a given relationship (Vallacher & Nowak, 1994a,1994b).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Robin R. Vallacher

  2. International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA

    Peter T. Coleman

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

    Andrzej Nowak

  4. International Center for Complexity and Conflict, Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland

    Lan Bui-Wrzosinska

  5. Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, City University of New York Queens College, New York, USA

    Larry Liebovitch

  6. Economic and Organisational Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, Germany

    Katharina G. Kugler

  7. School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia, USA

    Andrea Bartoli

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Vallacher, R.R. et al. (2013). Patterns: Temporal Trajectories of Conflict. In: Attracted to Conflict: Dynamic Foundations of Destructive Social Relations. Peace Psychology Book Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35280-5_4

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