Pain and Defense Versus Grace and Justice: The Relational Conflict and Restoration Model

The article presents an integrated theoretical perspective on the origin, maintenance and alteration of relational conflict. It suggests that relational conflict and reconciliation can be understood as two behavioral alternatives that couples respond with during the experience of pain or other negat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Family journal (Alexandria, Va.) Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 203 - 212
Main Authors Sells, James N., Beckenbach, John, Patrick, Shawn
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2009
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Altruism
Conflict
Conflict Resolution
Counseling
Couples
Demonstrations
Empathy
Healing
Interpersonal Communication
Intimacy
Justice
Negative emotions
Pain
Perpetuation
Reconciliation
Spouses
Trust (Psychology)
relational conflict
grace
justice
reconciliation
relational conflict and restoration model
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Summary:The article presents an integrated theoretical perspective on the origin, maintenance and alteration of relational conflict. It suggests that relational conflict and reconciliation can be understood as two behavioral alternatives that couples respond with during the experience of pain or other negative emotion. The presence of pain elicits a defensive reaction that encourages a perpetuation of the conflict process; or it encourages a demonstration of grace and justice that can permit relationships to be a healing agent. The components of the relational conflict cycle and the relational reconciliation cycle are explained.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:1066-4807
1552-3950
DOI:10.1177/1066480709337802