Introduction
How do you tend to respond to conflict?
Your conflict style represents your inclination, or natural tendency, when faced with a situation of conflict.
Knowing the five main conflict styles can help you understand the choices you have for managing conflict. And knowing your own conflict style can help you identify how you might want to approach conflict differently––how you might better manage it, depending on the nature of your relationship with the person with whom you are conflict, the amount of time you have to manage the conflict, and the importance of the issue to you. There is a time and a place to use each style and each style has its advantages and limitations. By being aware of your own conflict style and being able to identify the style of the person with whom you are in conflict, you can better pursue a mutually agreeable outcome for all parties involved.
Find Out Your Conflict Style: Take the Conflict Styles Assessment
To find out your style, or tendency, take the assessment below. Imagine a conflict scenario that you have experienced and answer the prompts with that scenario in mind. For each prompt, choose the statement (either A or B) that best describes how you would respond. You may find that neither of the statements matches what you would do. In that case, select the option that most closely reflects how you would respond. It is important to note that there are no right and wrong answers in this assessment.
Click here for printer-friendly version of the Conflict Styles Assessment.
Educators can engage their students in this activity by using the Peacebuilding Toolkit for Educators Lesson 2.2 (PDF, 135 KB) in the Middle School Edition or Lesson 2.4 (PDF, 141 KB) in the High School Edition.
Note: This quiz is based on the TKI instrument, published by CPP, Inc.—further information and TKI materials can be found on www.cpp.com.