Instructor Resource
Guerrero, Close Encounters
Discussion Questions
Chapter 11: Coping With Conflict
1. Think about your long-term relationships. What types of disagreements do you have
with these relational partners? How did the disagreement affect the relationship? What
positive effects did the conflict have on the dynamics of the relationships? And the
negative effects?
2. In what ways can any one of the six conflict styles promote a healthier relationship?
3. Consider the patterns of conflict interaction. What role does attribution play in
resolving or avoiding conflicts? What was an occasion where, if you had considered
what “win–win–win” would have looked like, the outcome would have made for a happier
state of the relationship?