After completing this module, students should be able to:
Compare and contrast the disputants, advocates, and constituents in a conflict
Outline the major steps to take to handle an interpersonal conflict
Assess the value of negotiations and the strategies used
Compare and contract facilitative and evaluative mediation
Explain how disputants’ rights are protected in the mediation process
Identify the steps in the arbitration process and briefly describe each step
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of nonbinding evaluation processes
Required Readings:
Craver, C. B., Garvey, J. B. (2021). Skills & Values: Alternative Dispute Resolution: Negotiation, Mediation, Collaborative Law, and Arbitration, 2nd Edition. Carolina Academic Press: ISBN 9781531022921
Module Summary Notes:
When parties negotiate, they try to carefully communicate through words — either orally or in writing. But parties communicate in another way that can be extremely significant and is often overlooked. Nonverbal or wordless communication can be every bit as valuable as the “verbal leaks.”
Sometimes nonverbal communication is intentional. A person may smile, firmly shake a counterpart’s hand, or scowl. This is all part of an intentional message sent to the other side. Negotiating parties tend to concentrate on what is being verbally communicated and what is being intentionally communicated nonverbally. As a result, negotiators often fail to appreciate the information being displayed through unintentional, nonverbal cues. This is especially true when counterparts are talking, but it is also true when they are listening. Experienced poker players are familiar with this phenomenon. When people are less than forthright, they often display a kind of “non-verbal leak,” which poker players call a “tell.” People who fail to observe a counter-part’s nonverbal signs are likely to miss the most trustworthy messages being communicated by their adversaries.
Certain nonverbal signals may also suggest that accompanying verbal messages are deceitful. While no one signal is a conclusive indication of deception, observers who look for relevant nonverbal patterns and behavioral changes can learn to spot likely prevarication. Skilled negotiators need to appreciate the importance of nonverbal signals.
ASSIGNMENT:
Watch the YouTube video of the Scott Peterson interview at
In a two to three page paper, explain whether or not you notice any body language or other nonverbal cues that relate to his guilt or innocence of the crime charge of murdering his wife.
