Mediator gender: Communication differences in resolved and unresolved mediations

Abstract

Abstract This article focuses on differences between male and female mediators' use of communicative behavior, specifically formulations, in resolved and unresolved mediations. The authors observed and videotaped mediations in a small claims court, transcribed these sessions, and then content‐analyzed the transcripts in terms of formulation function. The authors found no differences in the number of formulations used by males or females, but did note differences in the types of formulations used: females used more clarifying and males used more controlling formulations; males used more formulations when both disputants were male, and females more when both disputants were female. The authors also discovered some differential effects linking mediators' gender to disputants' satisfaction with the mediation and their perceptions of mediator competence, clarity, and fairness.