The Impact of Personality Structure on Outcomes of Mediation

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The Impact of Personality Structure on Outcomes
of Mediation

• Presented By Jennifer A Ellison
• National Mediation Conference
• 10 Sept 2008
• OSA Group Organisational Development Team
• Supervisors Associate Professor J. Grant/ Dr J
  Thornton
• Associate Supervisor Dr N. Barrett

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Existing research on Mediation

• Workplace mediation is a distinct discipline.
• Historically focuses on situational factors
• Few studies from a clinical perspective.
• Little integration between mediation and
  psychological assessment
• Mediation outcomes are defined in terms of
  satisfaction with the mediation process, and
  satisfaction with the outcome (Wall et al, 2001).

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Existing Research on Mediation

• Situational variables influence the mediation
  outcome more strongly than personality variables
  (Kressel Pruitt, 1989 Shell, 2001 Utley et
  al., 1989 Wall Lynn, 1993 Wall et al., 2001
  Womack, 1988).
• Personality factors impact on mediation outcome
  (King, 1990 Terhune, 1970 Utley et al., 1989)
  but one should also consider situational factors.
• Terhune (1970) Both personality and situation
  were the two main influences on behavioral
  conflict.
• King (1990) Conflict styles influence mediation
  outcomes however there was a need for measures
  that have greater reliability and validity.

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Research Question Methodology

• What is the relationship between personality
  patterns, defensive structures and mediation
  outcomes?
• An exploratory study
• Correlational design
• Opportunity sampling
• Five year period
• Online and Face to face administration of
  questionnaires

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Definitions of Terms Used in Hypotheses

• Clinical personality patterns schizoid,
  avoidant, depressive, dependent, histrionic,
  narcissistic, antisocial, sadistic, compulsive,
  negativistic and masochistic.
• Severe personality patterns borderline,
  schizotypal and paranoid.
• Immature defenses projection, passive
  aggression, acting out, isolation, devaluation,
  autistic fantasy, denial, displacement,
  dissociation, splitting , rationalization and
  somatization.
• Neurotic defenses undoing, pseudoaltruism,
  idealization and reaction formation.
• Mature defenses sublimation, humour,
  anticipation, suppression.

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Definitions of Terms Used in Hypotheses Cont

• Satisfaction with mediation outcome Satisfaction
  with agreement and emotional satisfaction.
• Satisfaction with mediation process Effective
  mediator, empowerment of client, impartiality of
  mediator, focus on issues and impact on work
  relationships.

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Hypotheses on Mediation Outcome

• Higher scores on the Clinical personality
  patterns and Severe personality patterns scale of
  the MCMI-III and Immature and Neurotic defense
  variables on the DSQ-40 will be correlated
  positively with lower levels of satisfaction with
  the Mediation Process and Outcome.
• Higher scores on Mature defense variables on the
  DSQ-40, will be correlated positively with
  higher levels of satisfaction with the Mediation
  Process and Outcome.

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Research Measures and Quantitative Analysis

• Demographic details
• Millon Clinical Personality Inventory (MCMI-III)
• Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-IV)
• Client Assessment of Mediation Services (CAMS)
• Qualitative Analysis of 20 of sample
  (semi-structured interviews).
• Goal To add depth to the quantitative data in
  terms of themes and meaning.

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Quantitative Analysis

• Correlation Analysis Regression Analysis.
• Two predictors from the MCMI-III (Clinical and
  Severe personality styles) and three predictors
  from the DSQ-40 (Immature, Neurotic and Mature
  defenses), will be compared with two predictors
  from the Mediation Outcome Scale (Outcome and
  Process).
• Three confounding variables will be controlled in
  the regression analysis intensity of conflict,
  duration of conflict and motivation to resolve
  the conflict.

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Results to date

• In Figure 1, the emerging trend indicates that
  65 of participants indicated that their
  perception of the intensity of the conflict was
  over five on a scale of one to 10.
• All of the participants indicated that their
  level of motivation to resolve the conflict was
  over six on a scale of one to 10.
• These variables will be accounted for by
  controlling for variance in the statistical
  analysis.

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Results to date Figure 1
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Results to date

• In figure 2, the percentage of participants that
  utilise immature, neurotic and mature defences is
  presented.
• Eleven per cent of the sample utilise neurotic
  defences, 89 utilise mature defences and no
  participants utilise immature defenses.

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Results to date Figure 2
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Results to date

• Figure 3 indicates, that in the data collected so
  far, approximately 25 of the sample has a
  histrionic personality disorder and 25 of the
  sample have a narcissistic personality disorder
  (Scores over 85 on the MCMI-III).

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Results to date Figure 3
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Results At This Stage

• 30 of data has been collected to date.
• Tendency to normal distribution in most cases at
  a general and individual personality style and
  defense level as predicted.
• 80 of qualitative interviews have been
  conducted. When analysed they will supplement
  quantitative data with themes and meaning.

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Results Personality and Defenses with
Satisfaction with Outcome and Process

• Pearson Correlations
• Direction as predicted in hypotheses.
• Strength Weak.
• Some significance in individual personality
  styles (sadistic masochistic correlate with
  satisfaction with outcome and process).
• Some significance in defenses (denial correlates
  with satisfaction with process).

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Implications for Mediators

• There is a significant correlation between the
  sadistic and masochistic personality styles
  (scores over 75 on the MCMI-III) and a low level
  of satisfaction with mediation process and
  outcome.
• There is also some significance with the defense
  style of denial with a low level of satisfaction
  with mediation process.

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Practical Implications

• If the person has a history of conflict in the
  organization, job or other jobs expectations
  are lower.
• If the conflict is a once off incident, there is
  more likelihood of resolving it.
• Knowledge of different styles (we are all
  primarily one) help us to know how the person
  will assimilate an intervention.
• Mediators may need to take this into account and
  adjust the mediation process when these qualities
  are present in mediation clients.
• Mediators may need to consider alternative
  interventions before going ahead with workplace
  mediation.

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Histrionic Personality

• Signs
• A strong need for approval.
• Can be flighty and theatrical.
• Attitude to Mediator
• May try to manipulate in order to gain approval.
• May be overly friendly with the agenda of forcing
  nurturance.

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Histrionic Personality Cont

• Approach by Mediator
• Dont give in to playful banter Pay attention
  in a sober and respectful way.
• Help the client to cut through the dramatics and
  identify their authentic needs.
• Guidelines and ground rules for the mediation are
  very important to maintain.

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Narcissistic Personality

• Signs
• May adopt a stance of superiority.
• May resist personal exploration and be indignant
  regarding implications of deficiencies.
• Attitude to Mediator
• May question the need for a mediator.
• May try to get the mediator to realise that the
  problem is due to the imperfection of the other
  party.
• Approach by Mediator
• Set limits without resorting to an attacking
  stance.
• Encouragement to think through other persons
  experience and needs in the pre-mediation.

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Self Defeating / Masochistic Personality

• Signs
• A Martyr / An injustice collector.
• May seem like easy prey in the workplace.
• Attitude to Mediator
• May accept unqualified blame and apologise for
  unproven behaviour.
• Will not accuse or reprimand other people in the
  workplace.
• Will submit rather than make an appropriate
  request.

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Self Defeating / Masochistic Personality Cont

• Approach by Mediator
• Encourage client to not allow him/herself to be
  victimised.
• Encourage authentic expression of own needs.
• Expect resistance to suggestions for
  assertiveness.
• Remain warm and empathic to support client to
  overcome self blame and ask for what his/her
  needs.

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Sadistic Personality

• Signs
• Power oriented people.
• Very little empathy for the experience of others.
• Could be abusive, destructive, explosive and/or
  manipulative to others especially when in a
  powerful position.
• Attitude to Mediator
• May be brusque or belligerent.
• Will rarely concede on an issue despite evidence.
• May want to show up or humiliate the other
  party.
• May become vindictive when pushed on personal
  matters.

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Sadistic Personality Cont

• Approach by Mediator
• Appeal to his/her self interest or self
  preservation tactics.
• Encourage client to display behaviours that will
  be rewarded rather than penalised in the
  workplace.
• Explore alternative interventions as prognosis
  for mediation is poor.

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Denial

• Behaviour
• The individual deals with internal or external
  stress by refusing to acknowledge some aspect of
  external reality that would be apparent to
  others.
• Approach by Mediator
• Be aware that the client may not be aware that
  he/she is not acknowledging the issue.
• Encourage objective evidence of workplace
  behaviours and the needs that arise to work
  effectively with the other party

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Projection/Blame

• Behaviour
• The individual deals with internal or external
  stress by attributing blame to another (the
  mediation partner or mediator) his or her own
  feelings, thoughts and needs.
• Approach by Mediator
• Clarify the ground rules of not blaming and
  establish use of I language as opposed to you
  language.

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General Strategies

• In all cases of personality issues it is really
  important to develop a trusting relationship in
  the pre mediation.
• All will respond more effectively if mediator is
  supportive and adapts strategies to their
  personality.
• It is imperative to assess viability of a
  mediation at the pre mediation stage in terms of
  motivation and emotional readiness.- FIRST DO NO
  HARM!!!!
• Refer back to the organisation if it seems
  unlikely that mediation will be successful