ABSTRACT
MAKING sense of conflict interaction is a difficult business. It is difficult because conflict interaction is very messy. People talk over one another frequently, their contributions dart in all different directions, displaying minimal coherence, and it is often difficult to tell what disputants seek. This appearance is understandable given the emotional purging that often accompanies proposals, issues, and arguments. Because they illustrate these features, our divorce mediation and hostage negotiation transcripts often provoke a response in first-time observers: “What the hell are you going to do with those?”
