Chapter 15: Brain Function’s Role in Conflict: How the Lizard and the Puppy Effect Decision-Making

Most people experience situations after which, upon reflection, they do not understand why they reacted in a certain way. You may meet someone for the first time and immediately like them or, on the other hand, dislike them. A sense of foreboding may overtake you when you are walking down the street, even in broad daylight; often times this leads to speeding up your step, crossing to the other side of the road, or going into a nearby shop.

In the 1960s, Dr. Paul McLean forwarded a theory concerning why people react in different types of situations. The “triune brain” theory proposes that an individual’s brain reacts to experiences in a systematic way. These automatic responses may prevent an individual from effectively and productively dealing with conflict. In order to assist individuals in resolving conflict, a person acting as a neutral can utilize methods to work through the automatic responses; this may assist the individuals in conflict to consider options to resolve their differences.