Conflict + Anxiety = Turmoil

Written by Peter T. Coleman & Anthea Chan

Experiences of social conflict often trigger anxiety, which is associated with more reactive, extreme, and problematic responses to conflict. However, individuals respond to conflict anxiety in different ways. This article presents the findings from a series of scale development studies that sought to create and test a measure for assessing common behavioral response tendencies in interpersonal conflict. The Conflict Anxiety Response Scale (CARS) is based on a theoretical framework proposed by Morton Deutsch—a pioneering conflict research scholar and clinical practitioner—that outlines a set of tendencies identified as common manifestations of anxiety management in conflict. The present line of research aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to assess respondents on these inclinations and explore their consequences. Ultimately, we seek to offer a practical assessment tool of conflict anxiety responses to enhance self-awareness, professional development, and well-being.