Self‐construal types and conflict management styles

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effects of ethnic background, sex, and self‐construal types on conflict styles among African Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, and Latina(o) Americans. Self‐construal, or self‐image, is composed of two aspects: an independent self and an interdependent self (Markus & Kitayama, 1991, 1994). Four self‐construal types result from a combination of the two components of self: biconstrual, independent, interdependent, and ambivalent. It was predicted and found that self‐construal provides a better explanation of conflict styles than ethnicity or sex. The participants (N = 662) completed a questionnaire that investigated their self‐construals and conflict styles in acquaintance conflicts. The major findings of the study were as follows: (a) biconstruals, independents, and interdependents use integrating and compromising more than ambivalents (as expected); (b) biconstruals use emotional expression more than ambivalents (as expected); (c) biconstruals use dominating more than interdependents and ambivalents (as expected); (d) interdependents and ambivalents use third‐party help more than biconstruals and independents; and (e) ambivalents use neglect more than biconstruals, independents, and interdependents; and (0 males use dominating more than females.