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Traps: Intractable Conflict as a Dynamical System

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Attracted to Conflict: Dynamic Foundations of Destructive Social Relations

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS))

Abstract

Although uncommon, when the perfect storm of intractable conflict hits, it can undermine the security and well-being of families, communities, and societies everywhere. When viewed through the lens of dynamical systems, both the low frequency and highly destructive consequences of this perplexing phenomenon become understandable. In general terms, conflict intractability develops when social, psychological, and structural elements interact over time to promote the emergence of a stable and coherent pattern of thought and behavior organized around perceived incompatibilities. These patterns function as attractors in that they “attract” the mental and behavioral dynamics of the parties to the conflict. As the conflict becomes a primary focus of each party’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, a wide variety of events and forces—even those that seem irrelevant to the conflict—are framed in a way that intensifies or maintains the conflict. Metaphorically, the conflict acts like a gravity well into which the surrounding mental, behavioral, and social-structural landscape begins to slide. Once trapped in such a well, escape requires tremendous energy and commitment and thus becomes difficult, if not seemingly impossible. Such dynamics are today apparent in Israel/Palestine, the Colombia/FARC conflict, and even in the current low-intensity conflict dynamics on the island of Cyprus.

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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). Traps: Intractable Conflict as a Dynamical System. 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_5

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