WHY DO INDIVIDUALS FOLLOW CULTURAL SCRIPTS? A DYNAMIC CONSTRUCTIVST ACCOUNT OF AMERICAN-CHINESE DIFFERENCES IN CHOICE OF MEDIATORS TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS.

The current research investigates the proposal that cross-cultural differences in conflict resolution choices are driven by cognitive scripts--expectancies about appropriate actions in a setting and outcomes they will evoke. Cognitive styles such as Need for Cognitive Closure affect the extent to which individuals rely on their own cultural scripts and hence display culturally typical conflict resolution behaviors. We tested this prediction in two conflict resolution domains where robust differences between American and Chinese had been identified. In Study 1, participants completed the NFC scale (Webster & Kruglanski, 1994) and the conflict management styles inventory (Rahim, 1983). Results showed that differences in conflict management styles emerge primarily in high NFC individuals. In Study 2, participants first filled out the NFC scale and then read a conflict scenario and responded to which type of third party conflict mediator they would prefer and the expectancies attached for each conflict mediat...