ABSTRACT
Conflict is an affliction common to all of us, however, the ways that people “struggle” with one another are quite diverse. One married couple might not ever discuss important issues, yet the next will argue incessantly over minutia. Of interest to most students, researchers, and practitioners in the area of dispute resolution is how the process of conflict, with its many idiosyncratic elements, relates to conflict and relationship outcomes. There is a touch of idealism revealed in our belief that appropriate control over the process of communication may lead to more equitable, humane, and satisfying forms of conflict than are often experienced. Still, the relationship between communication and conflict is not straightforward. Sometimes the ostensibly “best” forms of communication lead to the worst consequences and vice versa.
