Lecture The Study of Intercultural Communication Key Terms

4.2 Types of Conflict
Common categories of conflict include:

1. 
   affective conflict;
   
2. 
   conflict of interest;
   
3. 
   value conflict;
   
4. 
   cognitive conflict;
   
5. 
   goal conflict.
   

Affective conflict occurs when individuals become more aware that their feelings and emotions are incompatible. For example, suppose someone finds out that his or her romantic feelings for a close friend are not reciprocated. Their different levels of affection may lead to conflict.
A conflict of interest describes a situation in which people have incompatible preferences for a course of action or plan to pursue. For example, one student of described an ongoing conflict with an ex-girlfriend: “The conflicts always seem to be a jealousy issue or a controlling issue, where even though we are not going out anymore, both of us still try to control the other’s life to some degree. You could probably say that this is a conflict of interest”.
Value conflict, a more serious type, occurs when people have differing ideologies. For example, suppose that Ruben and Laura have been married for several months and are starting to argue frequently about their views on when to start their family and how to raise their children. Laura believes strongly that one parent should stay at home with the children when they are small, so she would like to wait until they have saved enough money and she can stop working for a few years. Ruben wants to have children immediately but does not want Laura to stop working; he thinks their children will do fine in day care. This situation illustrates value conflict.
Cognitive conflict describes a situation in which two or more people become aware that their thought processes or perceptions are in conflict. For example, suppose that Ruben and Laura argue frequently about whether Laura’s friend Bob is paying too much attention to her. Ruben suspects that Bob wants to have sex with Laura, but Laura doesn’t agree. Their different perceptions of the situation constitute cognitive conflict.
Goal conflict occurs when people disagree about a preferred outcome or end state. For example, suppose that Marissa and Derek, who have been in a relationship for 10 years, have just bought a house. Derek wants to furnish the house slowly, making sure that money goes into the savings account for retirement. Marissa wants to furnish the house immediately, using money from their savings. Marissa’s and Derek’s individual goals are in conflict with each other.