Leiden University Student Repository

Melkonian, Rita (2024)

Conflict Avoidance and Common Resource Dilemmas: The Influence of Conflict Avoidance on Exclusion Rates and Resource Use

Bachelor thesis | Psychologie (BSc)

This study investigates the relationship between conflict avoidance and resource dilemmas. With the increasing need for natural resources, the demand for management and prevention of resource depletion grows. Personality has shown to have significant effects on social dilemmas, however, research on individual differences in conflict avoidance remains limited. We conducted an experimental design in which we tested whether conflict avoiders exclude group members less (I) and harvest less from the available resource (II) than non- conflict avoiders. In addition, we tested whether people who score higher on conflict avoidance will harvest less in an exclusion condition in comparison to a non-exclusion condition (III). Our findings suggest no significant relationship between conflict avoidance and behavior in a resource dilemma game. The study’s implications highlight the need for further research to take factors like a more representative sample into account as well as the consideration...Show moreThis study investigates the relationship between conflict avoidance and resource dilemmas. With the increasing need for natural resources, the demand for management and prevention of resource depletion grows. Personality has shown to have significant effects on social dilemmas, however, research on individual differences in conflict avoidance remains limited. We conducted an experimental design in which we tested whether conflict avoiders exclude group members less (I) and harvest less from the available resource (II) than non- conflict avoiders. In addition, we tested whether people who score higher on conflict avoidance will harvest less in an exclusion condition in comparison to a non-exclusion condition (III). Our findings suggest no significant relationship between conflict avoidance and behavior in a resource dilemma game. The study’s implications highlight the need for further research to take factors like a more representative sample into account as well as the consideration of conflict avoidance as a situation-dependent variable.Show less

Author

Melkonian, Rita

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Supervisors

Kwaadsteniet, E.W. de

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en