YOU, WE, AND I - RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VERBAL EXPRESSIONS OF COMMUNALITY AND DYADIC CONFLICT BEHAVIOR

Forty-eight individuals were asked to participate in dyadic role plays that were recorded on videotape and transcribed. The tapes were score d on effectiveness of conflict management, and the transcriptions were scored on integrative and distributive conflict behavior, perceived f riendliness, and the use of words of communality (''we,'' ''us''). In line with the hypotheses, correlation and regression analyses demonstr ated positive relations with the use of words of communality and integ rative conflict behavior and with effectiveness of conflict management . On the basis of only 7% of all words used in the conversations, vari ance in conflict behaviors and friendliness could be assessed for abou t 50%.