Chapter 5: Personality and Conflict: How are They Inter-connected?

Personality refers to the pattern of behaviors and qualities that can assist in anticipating and explaining a person’s behavior. Multiple factors can influence personality, ranging from hereditary, environment, and experience.¹ Personality, in general, is a complicated and varied part of conflict resolution. Understanding one’s personality traits and those of others involved in a conflict can be crucial for effective conflict resolution.² The conflict management style and negotiation skills are influenced by personality. Personality traits of an individual may affect conflict resolution strategies in the following ways:

Five factor model (FFM) is a widely accepted framework for assessing and understanding personality. These characteristics can influence numerous elements of conflict management, including how individuals approach and resolve disagreements.^8,9 The role of personality traits in influencing dispute resolution is discussed in Fig. 10.