ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates television’s representation of conflict in romantic relationships. Television is an accessible and influential source of modeled learning that affects viewers’ understanding of social reality, including their understanding of romantic relationships. The chapter analyzes the relative use of conflict strategies overall, and by gender and race. Social cognitive theory suggests that viewers easily notice and model the conflict strategies that are rewarded in a television series; therefore, framing hostile questioning in such a positive way may be problematic. Conflict is a key component of almost all narratives, and is certainly evident in televised dramas and comedies. The chapter lookes at the frequency with which scripted television programs represented relational conflict. Conflict strategies are often grouped into two main categories based on the disclosiveness and competitiveness of conflict discussions: integrative strategies and distributive strategies. Integrative strategies aim to resolve conflict through seeking areas of agreement, cooperation, and compromise.
