Relation Between Conflict Management Strategies and Family Assessment Devices in Multicultural Setting

Summary & key facts

Researchers asked 362 university students from three ethnic groups in Kosovo about how they handle conflicts and how their families work. Students most often used compromising and least often used withdrawing. The study found small links between the way students manage conflict and how healthy family life is. The links were statistically real but explained only a tiny part of family health, and some family areas differed by ethnic group. The authors say this means cultural differences are important and that teaching conflict skills alone may not change family functioning much.

Key facts:

• The study surveyed about 362 university students: roughly 183 female and 179 male.
• The students came from three main ethnic groups in Kosovo: about 59% Kosovo Turks, 24% Albanians, and 18% Bosnians.
• On the conflict style scale, students reported using compromising most and withdrawing least; compromising scored about 3.7 and withdrawing about 3.0 on the study's scale.
• Family functioning was judged healthy in problem-solving, communication, roles, emotional response, and overall functioning (these scores were below the study's cutoff of 2.0).
• Two family areas were rated less healthy: emotional involvement (about 2.3) and behavioral control (about 2.1).
• There were small but statistically significant ethnic differences in family communication and behavioral control, but no ethnic differences in which conflict styles students used.
• Statistical models showed that withdrawing-type conflict behavior was linked with worse family functioning, while smoothing-type behavior was linked with better family functioning.
• Even though some links were statistically significant, conflict management styles explained only about 1.6% to 4.3% of the differences in family functioning, which is a very small effect.
• The authors conclude that cultural context matters, and that teaching conflict skills by itself may have limited direct impact on overall family health.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between conflict management strategies and family functioning among university students from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the multicultural context of Kosovo. A cross-sectional design was used with 362 university students (183 female, 179 male) comprising Kosovo Turks (58.6%), Albanians (23.8%), and Bosnians (17.7%). Data were collected using the Conflict Management Strategy Scale and Family Assessment Device. Path analysis was used to examine relationships between conflict strategies and family functioning dimensions. Students preferred compromising strategies most (M = 3.68) and withdrawing least (M = 2.98). Family functioning was healthy in problem-solving, communication, roles, affective responsiveness, and general functioning (scores < 2.0), but unhealthy in affective involvement (M = 2.29) and behavioral control (M = 2.12). Significant ethnic differences emerged in communication (F(2,144) = 3.158, p = .045, η² = .020) and behavioral control (F(2,149) = 4.109, p = .018, η² = .018), but not in conflict strategies. Path analysis revealed that withdrawing strategies negatively affected family functioning (β = .113-.143), while smoothing strategies had positive effects (β = -.139 to -.220). However, conflict strategies explained only 1.6-4.3% of the variance in family functioning (R² = .016-.043), indicating small effect sizes. While statistically significant relationships exist between conflict management strategies and family functioning, effect sizes are modest. Ethnic variations in these relationships emphasize the importance of cultural considerations for family counseling practices. The findings suggest that conflict management training may have a limited direct impact on family functioning, highlighting the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive intervention approaches.

Topics

Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Conflict Management and Negotiation

Categories

Psychology Social Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Academic achievement Computer science Conflict management Database Mathematics education Multicultural education Multiculturalism Pedagogy Psychology Relation (database) Social science Sociology