Communication Strategies in Conflict Discourse: Cross-cultural Experimental Research

The paper discusses the choices of communication strategies of confrontation, distancing and cooperation in conflict discourse made by Russian and American university students. The experimental study revealed that both Russian and American male students tend to be more aggressive than females, and that both Russian and American respondents tend to choose the strategy of confrontation when they start the conversation reacting to non-verbal triggers, while in reacting to verbal triggers most respondents chose the strategies of cooperation or distancing. The paper also discusses the language units used by the four groups of students for expressing confrontation.