Peaceful alternatives to asymmetric conflict

Reddmann, L.H. (2024)

Doctoral Thesis

In this dissertation, I focus on the question on how to resolve or reduce conflict, and specifically, on how to dissuade an attacking party from aggression. To this end, I introduced peaceful alternatives for wealth generation to dyadic and intergroup attacker-defender contests, investigating how such opportunities impact conflict dynamics and outcomes. Across multiple projects, I studied the effects of production opportunities, the application of resource transfers in conflict resolution, and the effects of economic uncertainty on intergroup conflict. My results demonstrate that such alternatives can be effective in reducing attacker aggression and conflict, that both parties benefit from the reduction of conflict, and yet, that attackers benefit disproportionately due their ability to allocate resources more flexibly between conflict and outside options. Overall, this research makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on conflict (management) by providing both theory and empirical evidence for the effectiveness of peaceful alternatives for wealth generation in dissuading aggression and conflict, but also reveals some unexpected consequences, such as the disproportionate benefits for attackers, that must be addressed to create truly equitable and successful conflict resolution.

• Conflict
• Conflict Resolution
• Cooperation
• Attacker-Defender Contests
• Inequality
• Production

• All authors: Reddmann, L.H.
• Supervisor: Dreu, C.K.W. de
• Co-supervisor: Gross, J.
• Committee: Dijk, E. van; Beersma, B.; Shalvi, S.; Kwaadsteniet, E.W. de
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University
• Date: 2024-01-23