Self-reported Peaceful Conflict Resolution Behaviour in Iranian and Finnish Adolescents

Abstract

The study investigated self-reported conflict behavior in 1,244 Iranian adolescents (649 boys, 595 girls; M age = 12.7 years, SD = 2.1 years) and in 620 Finnish adolescents (324 boys and 296 girls; M age = 12,7 years, SD = 2.0). The adolescents filled in a paper-and-pencil questionnaire with items inquiring about how they behaved when they themselves were in conflict with their peers, and when they were witnessing conflicts between others. The results showed that the Iranian adolescents were more inclined than the Finnish ones to make compromises and resolve conflicts peacefully. This was in particular true for Iranian boys. The results are in line with Hofstede’s (1980) cultural theory, according to which Iran is a typically collectivistic one, while Finland is a typically individualistic one.