Behaviors to Demonstrate Competitive and Avoidance Conflict Styles

On this page, we help learners to figure out one of the questions from the Grade 12 Life Orientation Source-based Task Term 1 which is:

List THREE behaviors that demonstrate that:
a. Amelia displays a competitive conflict style.
b. Jessica displays an avoidance conflict style.

Competitive Conflict Style

Based on the case study, we see Amelia displaying a competitive conflict style through these three behaviours:

1. She aggressively confronts Jessica – Amelia storms in, stands over Jessica with crossed arms, and immediately accuses her of being unreliable. This shows dominance and a win-lose mindset.
2. She dismisses Jessica’s explanation – When Jessica tries to explain that she was busy studying, Amelia refuses to believe her and brings up past events to strengthen her argument.
3. She refuses to take responsibility for her role in the conflict – When Jessica expresses her frustration, Amelia reacts defensively, saying, “I don’t see why you’re getting so angry with me. I’m not the one in the wrong here.” This shows a lack of compromise.

Avoidance Conflict Style

Based on the case study, we see Jessica displaying an avoidance conflict style through these three behaviours:

1. She avoids direct confrontation at first – Instead of addressing Amelia’s accusations immediately, Jessica continues paging through her notes while responding briefly, showing reluctance to engage.
2. She previously ignored Amelia’s messages – Jessica admits, “Yes, I have been ignoring you and it’s because of this.” Avoiding communication is a key sign of conflict avoidance.
3. She ends the friendship abruptly – Rather than working towards a resolution, Jessica reacts by cutting ties, saying, “This friendship is over. I don’t need people like you in my life.” This extreme response shows withdrawal rather than addressing the issue constructively.