“Don't worry, relationship conflict won't hurt us” Cultural Beliefs about the Consequences of Conflict

Abstract

Three cross-cultural studies examined cognitive representations of conflict providing evidence of cultural similarities and differences in expectations and behavioral intentions. In Study 1 Americans exhibited an optimistic bias relative to East Asians in their beliefs about relationship conflict, but not conflict in general. Study 2 suggests that these findings cannot be alternatively accounted for by cultural differences in perceptions about the distinction, or lack thereof, between relationship and task-focused forms of conflict. Furthermore, the results demonstrated an interaction effect such that both European Americans and Koreans prefer to proactively address and resolve task conflict, whereas only European Americans perceive that it is relatively unnecessary to address relationship conflict to achieve task performance. Study 3 confirmed that these cultural patterns have behavioral implications, such that Americans were more likely than East Asians to join a group talented but likely to experience relationship conflict. Together, results showing cultural asymmetries in how people make sense of relationship conflict suggest important implications for interpersonal and intra-group dynamics in intercultural contexts.