The Role of Conversation Structure in Conflict: Speaking is More Effective for Resolving Conflict than Writing

Resolving conflict is more important than ever as political and social dissent reaches record levels across the world. While it is clear that conversation between opponents is necessary to address conflict, an open question is how conversation structure influences conflict resolution. The current research examines a key aspect of conversation structure—the medium by which it occurs—and tests whether spoken (e.g., face-to-face, phone) versus written (e.g., online) conversations change conflict resolution outcomes.