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Papers and Projects
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Instructor’s Manual
Papers and Projects
Table of Contents
I. Short Essays and/or Projects
A. Elements of Conflict
B. Conflict Analysis: Dyadic Project
C. Changing Lanes: Film Analysis
D. Relationship “Check Up”
E. Technology and Conflict: Project Facebook
F. Forgiveness: Messages from Our Culture
II. Long Essays and/or Projects
A. Alternative Dispute Resolution: Group and Individual Project
B. Conflict Styles Assessment
C. End-of-Term Conflict Analysis
D. Comparative Analysis
E. Group Research Project and Presentation
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Short Essays and/or Projects
Elements of Conflict
Overview
This short paper is designed to (1) further your understanding of Wilmot and Hocker’s definition
of conflict, (2) help you analyze these concepts in a real-life conflict, and (3) improve your
competency in managing a conflict.
Process
1. First, identify a conflict that you have personally experienced recently or in the past.
2. Analyze your perception of the conflict using the definition provided in Chapter 1.
a. Expressed struggle: How was the conflict expressed? How often? Verbally?
Nonverbally? Overtly? Covertly?
b. Interdependent parties: What binds you and the other person in the conflict together?
In what ways do you need the other person? In what ways does he or she need you?
c. Perceived incompatible goals: What are you not getting from the other person in the
conflict? What is the other person not getting from you?
3. Analyze the other person’s view using the five elements of a conflict. You can do this by
(a) directly asking the other person in the conflict or by (b) making your best guess about
how he or she views the conflict.
4. Write a two- to three-page paper in which you address the points given below.
a. Summarize both your view and the other person’s view of the conflict.
b. Identify areas in which you and the other person could improve on to manage the
conflict better.
c. Discuss the role of one’s perception in the conflict.
d. Reflect on what you have learned by completing this process.
Papers and Projects
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Conflict Analysis: Dyadic Project
Overview
This paper requires you to work with a classmate to analyze a real conflict in which either (1)
you are one of the parties in the conflict or (2) you are an outsider to the conflict. Data for the
paper are collected from your interviews with the parties in a conflict. Use an interview format
adapted from the text and/or approved by your instructor.
Process
Solicit as much information from the parties in the conflict as possible, remembering that each
party in the conflict will have a different perception of the conflict and so will you as an outsider.
You can focus on multiple episodes of conflict over a period of time, or you can focus on one
dramatic episode of the conflict that is of considerable importance to you or to the parties
involved in the conflict. You are to illuminate the interpersonal dynamics of the conflicting
parties. You are to examine the conflict as a system-wide set of events between two
interdependent people.
If you are one of the parties in the conflict, you must complete your answers before your partner
interviews the other person. Whether you are a party in the conflict or not, you and your partner
should compile the raw data, look for conflict concepts in action, and write the paper from a
Begin by reviewing the Conflict Assessment Guide provided in Chapter 7. If necessary, edit the
questions so that they are easily understood by someone who is not currently taking a course in
conflict management. If you need any assistance in writing your own interview questions,
consult your instructor. Submit a draft of the list of questions to your instructor for his or her
approval before using them to conduct the interviews.
After conducting the interviews, you and your partner should write a paper that provides (1) a
detailed description of the conflict(s) between the parties in the conflict, (2) an assessment of that
conflict, (3) a set of recommendations to the parties in the conflict that detail how they could
Requirements
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1. This team essay should be five to seven pages in length. Be sure to attach your final list of
interview questions at the end of your paper.
2. Protect the parties in the conflict by using fake names. Do not reveal whether you or your
partner is one of the parties in the conflict.
3. Include the citations of additional readings on conflict management for your paper. You
4. You must participate in the process of peer review with your classmates. Submit their
5. Your paper will be graded on your ability to describe the conflict and integrate the relevant
concepts of conflict management to this specific conflict.
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Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Changing Lanes: Film Analysis
Note to instructors: This is a great assignment to do after completing Chapters 1–6. The movie is
full of emotion, especially anger and revenge, but it also demonstrates many other concepts
discussed in Chapters 1–5. You could use this as an assignment only for Chapter 6, or you could
use it as a “midterm” project. You could also show the students select clips from the movie to
illustrate various concepts of conflict management from almost every chapter in the text.
Process
As a class, have students watch the movie Changing Lanes, which is about two characters—
Gavin and Doyle—whose lives are intertwined, literally, by accident, and a great conflict ensues
between them. Before assigning any of the questions/analysis given below, ask students to keep a
notebook handy to record as many examples of course concepts from the movie as possible
while watching. (You can even give a prize, like five extra points on the paper, to the person
with the most viable examples.)
Questions/Analysis
1. Identify the various events and the verbal exchanges that contribute to the escalation of the
conflict between Gavin and Doyle. Which of the two characters is the most to blame?
2. Identify at least two opportunities where either character could have changed the course of
the conflict.
3. What are the examples of negative emotion that you see?
4. What are the examples of positive emotion that you see?
5. Discuss Gavin’s ability to manage his anger.
6. Discuss Doyle’s ability to manage his anger.
7. What are the roles of fear, threats, revenge, and physical aggression throughout the
conflict?
8. Who do you think has the most power—Gavin or Doyle? Explain.
9. What sources (RICE) of power does each character have?
10. What high- or low-power moves do you see in the movie?
Character Advice
1. Discuss productive low-power moves that either of the characters could’ve made that may
have altered the progression or outcome of their conflict. (Review the Wilmot handout
2. Choose one character (Doyle or Gavin), and give him some general communication advice
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as well as some conflict management advice.
Wrap-Up
1. What is the role, if any, of forgiveness in the conflict between Gavin and Doyle?
2. What did you learn from this movie that could help you manage your interpersonal
conflicts in a better way?
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Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Relationship Check-Up
Overview
The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to help you better understand the communication and
conflict management concepts discussed in the text and (2) to help you enhance one of your
interpersonal relationships.
Process
1. Choose a significant person that you have an ongoing relationship with in your life.
2. Sit down with this significant person when you both have some time and space, and ask
him or her to answer the questions given below.
• Appreciations: What do you appreciate about me the most? What do you appreciate
about our relationship?
• Updates: What new information do you have for me that I need to know about?
• Wishes/Hopes/Dreams: What are your wishes, hopes, and dreams? How have they
changed (or stayed the same)?
• Emotions: What emotions do you experience when we have a conflict? What
emotions do you see that I experience? How do your or my emotions affect our
behaviors when we are in conflict? What would you like me to work on?
• Conflict: What important issues do we need to work on? What do you like or dislike
about the way we manage our conflicts with one another?
• Forgiveness: What would you like forgiveness for? Will you forgive me for _____?
• Requests for Change: What would you like me to change? What behaviors do you
wish I would do more or less?
• Catch-All: Is there anything else you would like to talk about with me?
4. After completing the activity, reflect (aloud or in writing) on what you have learned.
5. Review the material discussed in Chapters 8 and 9 on how to negotiate your conflicts.
Identify specific strategies and steps that you and the other person will take to improve
your relationship. Keep in mind that you may use this process to help improve your
relationship with anyone.
6. Write a four- to five-page paper in which you incorporate the terminology from the text
and the answers discussed in class to the following questions:
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a. Describe the relationship that you have with the other person.
b. Summarize your answers and the other person’s answers to the questions given
above.
c. Reflect on what you have learned about this specific relationship and relationship
enhancement in general.
d. Demonstrate your understanding of the relevant concepts in conflict management.
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Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Technology and Conflict: Project Facebook
1. Ask the students to interview at least three people whom they know (such as a friend, a
family member, or a romantic partner) on a conflict they have experienced on Facebook
(the interviewee may have been one of the conflicting parties, or they may have just “seen”
it happening). Ask students to capture the most relevant details of this conflict in writing.
2. Conduct a class discussion about (a) the topical themes of conflict, (b) the escalation of
conflict, (c) the emotional responses to conflict via Facebook, and (d) what conclusions
they have drawn about conflicts on this social platform.
4. Finally, have the class (individually and/or in groups) provide some written advice to the
people who attempt to manage conflicts on Facebook. Do they follow any of Hocker and
Wilmot’s advice on interpersonal conflict? What could do they do better? Since this
medium and others like it are unlikely to go away, what can people learn about managing
conflict?
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Forgiveness: Messages from Our Culture
Purpose
This project is designed for students to explore how cultural factors in the United States
influence their thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding forgiveness. This could be done as an
individual project or as a small group project. Both projects require the students to spend some
time working on the projects outside of class.
1. Homework: Search for some current popular magazines, newspaper articles, music,
movies, television programs, and religious materials for messages on forgiveness. Attempt
to balance your collection of messages between the positive messages and the negative
messages on forgiving others and on accepting forgiveness.
2. Discussion: Give students approximately a week to gather their materials, and ask them to
bring their materials to class. Ask individuals or group members to explain how and where
they searched for their materials and what they learned while performing their search.
3. Mini-debate:
• Write the following statements on the board or on the slides of a presentation for
students:
o “Forgiveness is a sign of weakness.”
o “Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness.”
• Ask the students to write an individual argument for each of the two statements by
using the materials they brought to class and/or some personal examples to support
their claims.
4. Option A: If you have time, you could continue the class with the following questions.
Option B: You could also discuss the questions as a follow-up in the next class period.
• Is it easy or difficult for you to forgive others? Explain.
• Many people, including yourself, resist offering forgiveness to others. Why do you
think this happens?
• Is it easy or difficult for you to accept forgiveness from others? Explain.
• How much of your personal views have been influenced by the materials that you
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and your classmates have brought to class? Are there other factors? Name these
factors.
• How can we, as a society and as individuals, be better at giving and accepting
forgiveness?
• What, if anything, would you like to think or do differently about your views and
actions on forgiveness?
• How might changes in your views and actions reverberate in our culture and/or
influence any potential cultural change?
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Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Long Essays and/or Projects
Alternative Dispute Resolution: Group and Individual Project
Overview
This assignment is designed to give you the opportunity to learn first-hand about at least one
alternative dispute resolution (ADR) resource in your locality and introduce you to the variety of
ADR services available. As a group, you will research, write, and present information on a
Description
Group project: As a group, you are to select a specific ADR resource and actively learn more
about it. You may conduct phone interviews, meet with the people of the organization in-person,
use Web-based resources, and so forth, as part of your research. Each group has to write a four-
to five-page summary of its findings, and present the findings to the rest of the class. Each group
will provide a copy of its written report to its instructor and all of its class members. Each group
should write a report that addresses the following points given below.
• A description of the ADR resource that has been selected
• An overview of your group’s research process
• The purpose of the ADR organization
• The list of services the ADR provides
• The kinds of disputes the organization typically deals with
• An account of the organization’s clients (Who do they serve?)
• The costs of the organization’s services
• Any specialized training provided or internship opportunities offered by the organization
• An assessment of the pros and cons of the organization (Use your text as an evaluation
tool.)
• A report of a typical case (hypothetical or actual) handled by the organization
• A list of the organization’s resources and references
Each group will present its findings to the class in a 10-minute oral presentation. Each group will
need to decide the aspects of its report that its members believe to be the most relevant for the
presentation. The presentation should be both informative and engaging.
Individual project: As individual members of the class, you are to compile a resource packet
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using the reports developed by the different groups in class. You will need to organize the
Assessment
Each component of the project will be evaluated separately.
• Half of your grade for this project will be based on the individual resource packet.
• A quarter of your grade will be based on the presentation made by your group to the class.
• The final quarter of your grade will be based on the group report.
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Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 10e
Conflict Styles Assessment
Overview
The purpose of this paper is to provide you with an opportunity to understand the relationship
between the theoretical perspective of the five types of conflict styles and their applications to
your own life. By completing two different assessments, one assessment in which you will
Description
You will need to complete both conflict styles worksheets included at the end of this assignment
sheet. The “My Styles” and “Others’ Styles” worksheets were created by William W. Wilmot,
PhD of The Collaboration Institute. The worksheets are adapted from M. A. Rahim and N. R.
the data on your individual conflict styles, write a paper in which you contrast between your
perspective of your conflict styles and others’ assessments of your conflict style. You will need
to lay the groundwork for your comparative analysis by discussing the basic theoretical
perspectives on conflict styles as discussed in the text and in the class. If you find that the two
instruments generate different results, you should make an argument about what may account for
these differences. The final section of your paper should include a reflection on your conflict
styles and their effectiveness. Remember to support any claims that you make in this paper with
some appropriate support and documentation.
Assessment
This paper is worth __ percent of your final grade in this class. The paper should be typed and
proofread. All assertions and claims should be appropriately supported and cited. You have to
provide a draft of your essay on the date indicated in the syllabus for peer review. You have to
turn in copies of your peer evaluation forms and the initial draft of your paper with the final
paper. You will also need to attach a summary (table, chart, or description) of the data that you
collected for your analysis. Essays turned in without the required supporting materials and
citations will not receive full credit for this assignment.
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My Styles
Think of two different contexts (A and B) where you have a conflict, a disagreement, an
argument, or a disappointment with someone. An example might be a work associate (situation
A) and someone you live with (situation B). Then, according to the following scale, fill in your
scores for situation A and situation B. For each question, you will have two scores. For
example, the scores for situation A and situation B in Question 1could be as follows:
1. 2 | 4
Situation A___________________ Situation B__________________
1 = Never 2 = Seldom 3 = Sometimes 4 = Often 5 = Always
Situation A | Situation B
1. __|__ I avoid being put on the spot; I keep conflicts to myself.
2. __|__ I use my influence to get my ideas accepted.
3. __|__ I usually try to split the power difference in order to resolve an issue.
4. __|__ I generally try to satisfy the other person’s needs.
5. __|__ I try to investigate an issue to find a solution acceptable to both of us.
10. __|__ I try to integrate my ideas with the other person’s ideas to come up with a decision
together.
11. __|__ I try to avoid any disagreement with the other person.
12. __|__ I use my expertise to make a decision that favors me.
13. __|__ I propose a middle ground for breaking any deadlocks in our relationship.
14. __|__ I give in to the other person’s wishes.
15. __|__ I try to work with the other person to find solutions which satisfy both our
expectations.
16. __|__ I try to keep my disagreement to myself in order to avoid hard feelings.
17. __|__ I generally pursue my side of an issue.
18. __|__ I negotiate with the other person to reach a compromise.
19. __|__ I often go with the other person’s suggestions.
20. __|__ I exchange accurate information with the other person so that we can solve a problem
together.