Conflict Resolution

Given the history of conflict between Iran-Iraq (1980-1988), the present paper investigates whether interpersonal contact between Iranians and Iraqis, through religious tourism, has assisted in changing the perception of the Iranians toward the Iraqis. To this aim, the researcher chooses the Arbaeen Pilgrimage—the world’s largest annual gathering in Karbala—and the interaction of the Iranians with Iraqis as its case study. To observe the cultural contact of foot pilgrims to Karbala, the researcher traveled to Iraq in 2019 for five days to participate in a 78 km. walk from Najaf to Karbala. The paper uses semi-structured face-to-face interview as research method.  To account for diverse demographic characteristics of pilgrims, potential participants were approached randomly. Overall, 24 interviews with 14 female and 10 male Iranian pilgrims were conducted. Participants comprised Iranian people aged 14 to 57. Each interview lasted from 20-35 minutes. The paper uses integrated threat theory and Contact Theory to analyze the data. It will be argued that under Gordon Allport four optimal conditions-- i.e., a.) equal status; b.) common goals; c.) intergroup cooperation, and d.) support of social and institutional authorities-- intergroup contact between Iranians and Iraqis has helped in reducing prejudice, while diminishing old hostilities.

Resilience-building within the EU borders is critical to ensure the security of European states. Moldova is one of the target areas for this policy due to the frozen Transnistrian conflict. The primary purpose of this article is analyzing the role of the EU in the Transnistrian conflict and why the EU resilience building activities had limited effects on the ground. The theoretical framework of this study is Mullainathan and Shafer's idea of Scarcity. Scarcity is a broad concept that means "having less than you need." The EU security scarcity has led to a security poverty. Scarcity’s capture of attention affects not only what the EU sees the world, but also the way in which it interprets and understands it. This article hypothesizes that the EU has started tunneling due to the security scarcity for resilience-building in the Transnistrian conflict, and this has led to a decrease in the bandwidth and consequently diminished the resilience-building capacity and conflict resolution in the region. The method of research is case study.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) in enhancing empathy and conflict resolution skills among parents of autistic children. This randomized controlled trial included 30 parents of autistic children, divided into an intervention group (n = 15) receiving IRT and a control group (n = 15) receiving no intervention. Participants were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and four months post-intervention using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory (CRSI). Data analysis involved repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, conducted using SPSS-27. The intervention group showed significant improvements in empathy and conflict resolution scores. Empathy scores increased from 54.78 (SD = 5.32) at baseline to 67.32 (SD = 5.67) post-intervention and were maintained at 65.91 (SD = 5.42) at follow-up. Conflict resolution scores rose from 62.14 (SD = 6.23) to 74.89 (SD = 5.47) post-intervention, with scores at follow-up being 73.28 (SD = 5.63). ANOVA results indicated significant main effects for Time (empathy: F(2, 56) = 45.67, p < 0.001, η² = 0.62; conflict resolution: F(2, 56) = 49.18, p < 0.001, η² = 0.64), Group (empathy: F(1, 28) = 32.78, p < 0.001, η² = 0.54; conflict resolution: F(1, 28) = 35.91, p < 0.001, η² = 0.57), and Time × Group interactions (empathy: F(2, 56) = 41.23, p < 0.001, η² = 0.59; conflict resolution: F(2, 56) = 43.89, p < 0.001, η² = 0.60). Bonferroni post-hoc tests confirmed significant improvements from baseline to post-intervention and baseline to follow-up. IRT significantly enhances empathy and conflict resolution skills in parents of autistic children, with improvements maintained over a four-month period. These findings highlight the potential of IRT as an effective intervention to support parents in managing the challenges of raising children with autism.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Imago therapy-based couples therapy on improving communication skills, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to rejection among couples attending counseling centers in Masjed Soleyman. Methods: This quasi-experimental research was conducted with a pre-test, post-test, control group design, and follow-up. The population of this study included all couples visiting counseling centers in Masjed Soleyman in 2019, with twenty couples (40 individuals) randomly divided into experimental and control groups (10 couples per group). Participants in the experimental group underwent ten two-hour training sessions, while the control group did not receive any training. Participants were assessed using the Quinndom Communication Skills questionnaire, the Sanayi Zaker et al.'s Standard Sensitivity to Rejection, and the Downey and Feldman Marital Conflict questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance via SPSS software version 22. Findings: The results showed that training based on Imago therapy significantly altered the experimental group's communication skills, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to rejection compared to the control group. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, Imago therapy training can be considered an effective method for improving communication skills, conflict resolution, and sensitivity to rejection among couples.