AFFECT IN DYADIC NEGOTIATION - A MODEL AND PROPOSITIONS

The topic of affect has been described as an important, but underexplo red area of the social psychology of negotiation. In this paper we see k to advance thinking about affective processes in two-party negotiati on through an integration and conceptual extension of existing researc h. We briefly review conceptualizations and operationalizations of aff ect, and highlight findings relevant to the social-cognitive underpinn ings of negotiation. A dynamic model of affect in two-party negotiatio n analyzes the role of moods and emotions that bargainers bring to and evolve within the negotiation encounter. The model illustrates how af fect states influence (and in some cases are influenced by) one's deci sion to negotiate, selection of an opponent, formulation of expectatio ns and offers, choice of tactics used within bargaining, economic and social-cognitive outcomes, and proclivity to comply with settlement te rms. We develop specific research propositions that describe these inf luences and discuss their implications for broader questions about the role of affect in bargaining. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.