A popular theoretical assumption holds that task-related disagreements stimulate critical thinking and, thus, may facilitate superior group decision-making. Two recent meta-analyses showed, however, that the relationship between task conflict and decision-making quality is not uniformly positive...

In this article, we demonstrate that physiological reactions to a conflict affect the way individuals manage their conflicts and, in effect, how the conflict affects decision making. Instead of a uniform positive or negative conflict-performance relationship, we show that a task-related team...

Purpose – Negotiations can be stressful, yet are unavoidable in many organizations. Members of organizational workgroups for instance need to negotiate about issues such as task division and different ideas on how to complete a project. Until recently little research effort has been directed...

We present two studies demonstrating the implications of having different values (vs. instrumental concerns) in a situation where people take conflicting positions. Study 1 (N=266) examined how people respond to a range of conflict issues that were framed either as referring to conflicting...

Personal and societal challenges require people to change. When this posits difficult choices, others’ advice can help. Still, people sometimes reject useful advice. For instance, advice perceived as a personal freedom threat can raise reactance, the motivation to restore personal freedom....