Argumentativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness as Predictors of Partner-Perceptions of Conflict Styles During a Simulated Downsizing Activity

Abstract

The present study examined how the traits of argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness are associated with perceptions of communication competence and conflict styles during a simulated downsizing activity. Participants were placed into dyads and asked to determine which two out of four employees they should terminate, with each participant being given private motivations for keeping a different pair of employees so that they would initially have incompatible goals. Findings suggest that the concept of argumentativeness is complex and nuanced and that argumentativeness sometimes works with verbal aggressiveness to predict how a person is perceived during decision-making tasks. Additionally, findings illustrate how critical it is to examine both actor and partner effects when studying conflict and decision-making.