Understanding decision-making in conflict: Group power, norms and cost-benefit analyses

冲突司空见惯，代价高昂。当冲突停滞或升级时，种族、宗教和政治团体浪费时间、金钱、精力，甚至生命。但研究人员仍然无法预测团体何时会合作并迅速解决问题，或者其他有类似不满的人何时会回避问题，允许问题升级，或者爆发暴力。这项研究着眼于形成所谓的“非理性”冲突行为的心理过程。它测试了这样一种观点，即身份、权力和规范等群体层面的因素可以解释无谓的冷漠、抱怨和暴力的逻辑。这些结果将提高我们预测冲突动态和管理冲突动态的能力。

Conflict is common and costly. Racial, religious, and political groups waste time, money, energy, and even lives when conflicts stagnate or escalate. But researchers still can't predict when groups will cooperate and solve problems quickly, or when others with similar grievances will avoid the issues, allow them to escalate, or erupt into violence. This research looks at the psychological processes that shape so-called 'irrational' conflict behaviour. It tests the idea that group-level factors, such as identity, power, and norms, can explain the logic of 'senseless' apathy, grumbling, and violence. The results will improve our ability both to predict conflict dynamics and to manage them.