From Conflict to Convergence: Coming Together to Solve Tough Problems

Glossary of Key Terms

Active Listening/Deep Listening

Listening closely and attentively to others with the intention of developing a better understanding of the speaker's views and needs. Often takes practice to cultivate.

Amygdala Hijacking

A process initiated when you encounter stress and treat it as a physical threat. Inside your brain, your amygdala shuts down your prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and problem-solving. This makes it difficult to address conflict calmly and rationally.

Catastrophize

Unconsciously and continuously believing that a situation is worse than it really is and even believing that only the worst possible outcome will occur.

Collaborative-Problem-Solving

An approach to addressing conflict that brings together people with the collective knowledge, experience, and influence needed to solve a problem, including those who are in disagreement. This approach calls for engaging them in a dialogue designed to build trust, elicit rich and respectful exchanges on the issues at hand, and generate solutions that integrate the needs of the range of stakeholders involved.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek out and readily recall information that confirms our beliefs and to discount information that challenges our viewpoints.

Contact Theory

The idea that interpersonal contact under the right conditions is one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice between groups. First put forth by Gordon Allport in the 1950s, ...