To Greenspun.com, I have been studying the causes of territorial conflict in Northen Ireland and fell apon the concept of "intractable conflict". I have studied this subject for some time and so am aware of its meanings and impact. However, I would be very grateful if you could point me in the direction of a relevant experiment/study that investigates how/why territorial conflicts (or conflicts over desired resources)are acted apon more vigorously if the groups involved are in a position of Intractable conflict with eachother. I would be particually useful if the study is somewhat well-known in psychology This would enhance my knowledge and most of all my fascination with the subject! Thank you, Yours faithfully Miss Amanda Lightowler

-- Amanda Victoria Lightowler (boss_eyed_bobette@hotmail.com), August 13, 2004

Answers

I suspect you don't understand the subject as well as you suggest, as an understanding of it should make clear that this is not something one can study with "an experiment," no matter how cleverly designed, as the very nature of an intractable conflict makes it something that cannot be pretended for the sake of an experiment. The website at the link below provides an extensive bibliography on the topic, which is a major topic in political and diplomatic theory:

http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/ref&fr1.htm

There are also many infromative links at http://www.beyondintractability.org/iweb/

I suspect you'll find further insight in the literature on prejudice (Gordon Allport's The Nature of Prejudice is a classic in the field) and on the psychology of religion, as many of the current conflicts involve religious differences that are intertwined with ethnic identity. Another way to think about it is that we all fight much more fiercely when our identities are involved than we do when mere possessions are involved--few of us are willing to give up our identity, our definition of self.

-- Hendrika Vande Kemp (hendrika@cox.net), August 13, 2004.

You will almost certain be interested in Muzafer Sherif's classics "Robber's Cave" studies, which can be found on-line at http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Sherif/

-- Christopher Green (cgreen@chass.utoronto.ca), August 13, 2004.

Hi Amanda, this may seem to come at your question from an oblique angle, but it may be profitable for you to look at the psychology of Pierre Janet. Read the book that Edwin Guthrie translated. Then look at Guthrie's 1938 book on human conflict. Briefly, what you should find there is a theory that indicates humans are in a constant state of adjustment to their constantly changing environment - and the environment here is essencially social. So the 'thing' is there is always a problem at hand that requires a solution. And this usually turns out to be somekind of conflict. Next consider that a person only has X amount of energy or resourses avalible to solve the puzzle. It was thought that the situation of being in a conflict generated energy in order for the person to raise to the occassion and solve the problem. Then the above authors went into the possiblities of what happened if the person's resources were not enough to solve the problem or what would happen if the problem was unsolvable. I believe this approach might be interesting to you. Best regards and good luck, David

-- david clark (doclark@yorku.ca), August 25, 2004.