Abstract
Episodes of conflict can be among the most distressful experiences while interacting with others or within a relationship. There are a number of behaviors that occur to compose a conflict, however there are two behaviors that serve to restore a relationship following a conflict, those of apologizing and forgiving. While substantial attention has been provided to the issues of interpersonal conflict, apologizing, and forgiving from more traditional approaches, these accounts contrast with the views of behavior analysis in a number of ways. When the behaviors involved in interpersonal conflict are assessed from a behavior-analytic perspective, many of these traditional views are directly challenged. Furthermore, we find that the manner in which conflicts are normally resolved within relationships may be contributing to harmful patterns of interacting. The present paper aims to provide a thorough behavioral analysis of the operating contingencies and behaviors that occur during episodes of interpersonal conflict. With such an understanding, suggestions are made based on behavioral principles and procedures as to how resolution may be more readily achieved and further conflict may be avoided.
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Toney, D.E., Hayes, L.J. A Behavioral Analysis of Apologies, Forgiveness, and Interpersonal Conflict. Behav. Soc. Iss. 26, 128–155 (2017). https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v26i0.7425
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v26i0.7425