Often individuals can end conflict disputes relatively quickly (Lloyd, 1987; Vuchinich, 1987);
although many conflicts end without clear resolution (Benoit & Benoit, 1987; Gottman, 1999; Johnson & Roloff, 1998; Lloyd, 1987; Trapp & Hoff, 1985; Vuchinich, 1987, 1990).
Scholars have defined unresolved conflict differently. Gottman (1999) labeled ongoing perpetual problems as “issues with no resolution that the couple has been dealing with for many years” (p. 96). Coleman (2000) used the terms intractable conflict to depict conflicts that remain “recalcitrant, intense, deadlocked, and extremely difficult to resolve” (p. 429). Intractable conflict is characterized by hopelessness, pervasiveness, intense emotionality, and complexity (Coleman, 2000, 2003). Coleman and others examine intractable conflict in terms of macro-level contexts, such as intergroup, political, and international conflict. Still, intractable conflict features of hopelessness, intense emotionality, and the like appear quite applicable to interpersonal, family, and work contexts.Trapp and Hoff (1985) presented a third label, serial argumentation, which occurs when an argument extends beyond a single episode and partners repeatedly confront one another regarding the same issue. According to Johnson and Roloff (1998), “a serial argument exists when individuals argue or engage in conflict about the same topic over time, during which they participate in several (at least two) arguments about the topic” (p. 333). Serial arguments can occur for a couple of hours, months, years, and perhaps across a lifetime (Trapp & Hoff, 1985). This chapter focuses primarily on serial arguing because research using this definitional approach focuses predominantly in interpersonal relationships.
Serial arguments most often occur in close relationships. Eleven of 12 (92%) of Trapp and Hoffs (1985) participants reported engaging in arguments that occurred across several episodes. Moreover, almost half of the college students sampled in Benoit and Benoit’s (1987) study described being involved in a serial argument with the same person fairly often. In addition, Johnson and Roloff (1998) discovered that romantic partners disagreed about a single topic an average of 13 times, with partners currently experiencing an average of two ongoing disputes.
Accordingly, we explore the concept of serial arguing within the overall purpose of this book (to find research that lends itself to personal application). This chapter discusses the following in terms of serial arguing: characteristics and determinants, communication patterns, individual and relational implications, and constructive communication.