The role of the psychologist in conflict resolution

The application of the law as coercive exercise is not the only option. On some occasions it can be replaced, with peaceful negotiations that allow an adjustment between individual needs and respect for the norm. What is the role of the psychologist in the conflict resolution?

Content

• The role of the psychologist in conflict resolution
  • Avoidance as a way of facing the conflict
  • Resort to law as a strategy in conflict resolution
    • Public or private expert
    • The expert advisor
    • The colaboration
    • Mediation as a strategy for conflict resolution
  • Psychologist's roles in conflict resolution
  • Conclusion
  • References

The role of the psychologist in conflict resolution

People who are in conflict have different options to resolve it: avoid, negotiate, mediate, submit to a private third party, submit to the judicial authority or resort to violence.

Each of these options varies based on the formality or not of the process. Also, to its public or private character and to the greater or lesser power exercised by the parties on the result.

Avoidance as a way of facing the conflict

At one end is avoidance, since, many times, people do not believe in the possibility of a change to improve or simply avoid it because it thinks that the issue is not so important.

On this side are the most private and informal options, where the parties have a great prominence. It is followed by other options that incorporate formalism into the process, which give a greater intervention to the third, subtracting it from the parties, and promoting a public airing of conflicts, to conclude with The most drastic option, which is the use of violence to submit the other.

Resort to law as a strategy in conflict resolution

Resorting to the law, with the hope of objectivity and justice, is a public process where the parties have their lawyers, which They are responsible for arguing their respective proposals before an impartial third party, a judge.

The judge issues his decision, based on the background and legal norms, and the result is based on the wins/loses formula

Besides, The third party's decision is mandatory and executable, and the parties must accept such a decision. It means taking into account the following aspects: expenses, time and disagreement with the results.

Public or private expert

When we talk about the psychologist's performance as an expert, either from any of the teams of the administration of justice, or from the private sphere, the context in which it acts is the judicial procedure mentioned above.

With which, He is as expert tax. The expertise acquires the form of an investigation aimed at clarifying the facts based on the truth, as in criminal proceedings, or to demonstrate the facts based on reason, in civil processes.

Another way to solve conflicts is resort to a private third party. This formula shares with the previous one the depleted power of the parties and the commitment of the external decision factors, in addition to following the wins/loses scheme.

The administrative resolution of a dispute attempts to establish a certain balance between the needs of the organization and the individual.

The expert advisor

When we talk about arbitration, A third is requested by the parties, which adopt the commitment to respect the referee's decision If they do not reach an agreement. Here the psychologist can intervene as an expert, but not imposed, but as a connoisseur of the subject to discuss and with the consent of the parties to report on the subject under study. This function is known as Advisor expert.

The colaboration

Finally, There is another way to resolve conflicts whose basis is collaboration. Through this, the parties themselves make decisions, well negotiating among them disagreements, well using representatives.

Also, they can use a third party in common agreement to help them in the negotiation process. The first of these formulas is negotiation. The parties try to solve their differences directly between them.

Sometimes it is a difficult company, since Intense emotions hinder communication and lead to wrong perceptions that sharpens the disagreements. Only if the emotional intensity of the parts is low, they can solve their differences using rationality.

Here The psychologist can act from Collaborating expert With the lawyer, And although it is a formula that gives more prominence to the parties, professionals continue to occupy the main place.

Mediation as a strategy for conflict resolution

The second formula is mediation, in which, a third elected by mutual agreement listens to his positions, makes private meetings and leads to agreements. Mediation begins when the parties no longer believe they can resolve the conflict by themselves through negotiation.

With mediation the parties solve their own conflicts and make decisions that make them protagonists of the entire process

The different options to resolve conflicts indicate a different participation of the interested parties in their resolution. As this participation increases, the prominence of professionals decreases.

Psychologist's roles in conflict resolution

If we look at the roles exercised by the psychologist, we can observe that his performance is modified. That is, its intervention is decreasing depending on the increase experienced by the parties, in terms of their participation.

When we talk about role of the expert or of Advisor expert, The objective of the evaluation carried out is not addressed to the people evaluated, but to support the third, who will judge his case, or the lawyer of a party, which tries to obtain elements that justify their arguments.

The work of collaborating psychologist acquires a certain difference with respect to the previous ones. Combines your knowledge with those of the lawyer and collaborates in the analysis of the situation conflictive. Likewise, in the search for the possible alternatives for the resolution of conflicts, and their effects in all those involved and in the choice of the one that is most viable.

Their role is less evaluator, since it exchanges their knowledge with those of the interested parties, while they acquire a more relevant role. The ultimate reason for this action is directed directly to the parties (or one of them) in conflict with the objective of preparing them to face judicial procedures and that these affect them as little as possible.

Conclusion

Finally, the role of mediator is distanced from the previous ones, since their performance is oriented to Promote the participation of those involved in their resolution, and is put at the service of the parties involved for Get to prepare a conducive land in which negotiations are developed, improving communication between them and changing the way of seeing the conflict.

Its objective is to help the interested parties themselves to find a way to get out of the conflicting situation, becoming the parties to the true protagonists of the process. Thus, they receive the necessary information, they clarify their positions, they know their interests and those of the other, they propose different alternatives and agree to acceptable solutions for both parties.

Therefore, under the flag of mediation we obtain greater satisfaction, by participating to the parties in the common search for the solution. Finally, say that unlike processes wins/loses, The mediation scheme is wins/wins. Without a doubt, it is one of the best techniques in the face of conflict resolution (if not the best we have).

References

• Canton, e., Gistain, c., Czech, i., & Eva, L. AND. EITHER. N. (2011). Psychological mediation program with football referees. International Magazine of Social Sciences and Humanities, SocioTam, twenty-one(2), 27-38.
• Parkinson, l. (2005). Family mediation. THEORY AND PRACTICE: OPERATING PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES. Barcelona, ​​Spain: Editorial Gedisa.
• Serrano, g., Lopes, c., Rodríguez, d., & Mirón, L. (2006). Characteristics of mediators and mediation success. LEGAL PSYCHOLOGY YEARBOOK, 16, 75-88.
• Serrano, g. (2008). Family efficacy and mediation. Psychology Bulletin, 92, 51-63.