![]() John S. K. Ng, Ph.D Contact John Ng Website: www.meta.com.sg |
Attribution Biases and Their Impact on Mediation
(05/26/08)
Perception bias is a powerful communication process. Fritz Heider, father of attribution theory, proposes that attribution is an “effort of predicting and controlling the world by assigning transient behavior to unchanging positions”. In mediation, disputing parties hold biases with respect to the mediator, mediation process and the other party. These affect motivation and communication styles, which in turn influences the outcome of the mediation. Unless the mediator is conscious of these biases and develop skills to overcome them, the mediation process will be in jeopardy. This paper will consider three different attribution biases, namely fundamental attribution bias, false consensus bias, and negative impression bias and suggest practical ways, based on the experiences of the authors, to overcome these biases.
The Four Faces of Face
(05/15/08)
This paper investigates the relationship between maintaining face and mediation and its effects on parties.