Table of Contents |
Recall that there are five different conflict styles. Avoiding is a conflict resolution style in which a party does not make any attempt to address or resolve the conflict.
As a style, avoiding is:
Let's look at some examples of avoiding as a style.
EXAMPLE
When you come home from work, you notice that your spouse is in an argument with your teenage kids over chores not getting done, curfew being missed, and homework not being completed. This is becoming a very heated argument. You think, “I'm just going to go into the office and close the door.” It is your tendency to avoid arguments like this at home.EXAMPLE
You are on a trip with some friends. You've saved up some money for this trip, but you notice that you're running low. You've eaten at a few more restaurants than expected. You know you're going to need to bring this up because it's going to make a difference in the trip in terms of some of the things you do. However, you keep avoiding it; you just don't talk about it.EXAMPLE
While walking down the street in your neighborhood, you notice there are some kids at the end of the block. It looks like they're getting into a fight, and it’s starting to get violent. You were walking right towards it, so you decide to cross the street and avoid the fight.This particular style of conflict has, as all styles do, both positive and negative outcomes.
A positive outcome is a resolution to a conflict that a party perceives as meeting his or her needs and/or reducing the likelihood of further conflict.
A negative outcome is a resolution that the party perceives as not meeting his or her needs and/or increasing the likelihood of further conflict.
Return to the previous examples and suppose you avoid it:
| Situation | Positive Outcome | Negative Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| You come home to find your spouse arguing with the kids, and you avoid it. | Maybe you and your kids get along okay because you stayed out of this argument. | Things don't get settled around the house. The kids know you and your spouse aren't on the same page, and your spouse may be upset that you didn’t step in. |
| You're running low on money on your trip and you avoid talking about it. | You might enjoy a few more meals out with your friends on this trip. | When you come home, you realize you’ve far exceeded your budget because you didn't address it upfront. |
| You notice some kids fighting kids, where you crossed the street to avoid the situation. | You didn't risk your safety. | Maybe by not calling the police, or calling the parents of the kids if you know them, you ran the risk of this kind of behavior escalating in your neighborhood. |
Source: This tutorial was authored by Sophia Learning. Please see our Terms of Use.
