Conflict Resolution Style among Mexican Children

Abstract

Urbanization theorists have suggested that a consequence of increased urbanization is increased competitiveness. To test that hypothesis, 526 children from three settings in Mexico responded to two questions measuring their preferred response to conflict. While setting did relate significantly to conflict resolution style, the pattern of results obtained did not support the utility of a simple urban-rural dichotomy. The results suggest the importance of town ecology and the need for a more differentiated classification of the social ecology of settings.