Think of an example of a conflict from your own life. Illustrate the process of resolving this conflict using all five stages of the explanatory process model.

What will be an ideal response?

Answers will vary but students should delineate each step of the explanatory process model in order: distal context, proximal context, conflict interaction, proximal outcomes, and distal outcomes. If a student, Serena, is describing her conflict with her boyfriend, Darien, she might describe their distal context: Serena tends to be lazy while Darien is ambitious. Next Serena describes their proximal context: Darien wants Serena to study hard so they can go to grad school together, but Serena failed a test because she fell asleep instead of studying. Next is the conflict interaction: Darien confronts Serena when he finds out about her failing grade. The proximal outcomes might include Serena agreeing to study harder or try to seek some extra credit. The distal outcomes include Serena and Darien’s feelings about their conflict. Darien might feel relieved that Serena agreed to study harder, but Serena might feel annoyed at Darien’s insistence.