title: Conflict behaviors toward same-sex and opposite-sex peers among male and female late adolescents.
abstract: Differences between males and females in regard to conflict behaviors toward same-sex and opposite-sex peers were examined in a sample of 501 undergraduate university students (326 males, 175 females). They completed a one-page questionnaire containing the theoretical definitions of five conflict behaviors identified by Thomas (1976): competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating. Students were asked to rate the extent to which they exhibit each of these conflict behaviors, on a 5-point Likert-type scale, separately for same-sex and opposite-sex peers. Results revealed that males reported more competing behavior toward same-sex peers than toward opposite-sex peers, and more avoiding behavior toward opposite-sex peers than toward same-sex peers. Males, compared to females, reported more accommodating behavior toward both same-sex and opposite-sex peers. These findings support the view that preferences regarding conflict behaviors are different for males and females, particularly as exhibited toward same-sex and opposite-sex peers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. esin@tutor.fedu.metu.edu.tr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tezer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010379:Peer Group; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires