Relational transformation or resolution only? A quantitative analysis of mediator and disputant behaviors, and mediation outcome

Abstract

This research quantitatively investigated the behaviors observed in mediation. We coded 16 mediation sessions recorded at a secondary school in the United Kingdom as relational transformation or resolution only and examined if the frequencies of the behaviors were significantly different between these two categories. We also investigated how the characteristics of their behaviors were correlated. Results indicated that the frequencies of the mediator's empathetic and the disputant's open, expansive, and defiant behaviors were significantly different between the two categories. Our findings also suggested several positive correlations between the behaviors, including the disputant's open and expansive, open and the mediator's empathetic, expansive and the mediator's eliciting, and negative between open and the mediator's directive, and defiant and the mediator's eliciting behaviors. Our findings mostly supported what has been widely discussed among the mediation researchers and practitioners—active listening, empathy, and impartiality, but also found a mutually enhancing relationship between the disputant's open and expansive behaviors. For relational transformation, we argue that the mediator should demonstrate empathy to help the disputant's open expression while asking eliciting questions to encourage their mutual acknowledgment and preclude defiance.