AGREEABLENESS AND ACTIVENESS AS COMPONENTS OF CONFLICT BEHAVIORS

Handling social conflict is usually described in terms of 2 dimensions that either cause the behavior (concern for one's own and others' goa ls) or that result from it (integration and distribution). In contrast , agreeableness and activeness are common factors of modes and taxonom ies of conflict behavior that do not confound independent and dependen t variables. This article specifies the extent to which avoiding, acco mmodating, compromising, problem solving, indirect fighting, and 2 for ms of direct fighting-issue fighting and outcome fighting-each positiv ely or negatively relate to agreeableness and activeness. Systematic o bservations of videotaped simulations by 82 male police sergeants hand ling a standardized conflict with either a subordinate or a superior s upported and refined this metataxonomy.