Field Theory of Conflict

Field theory of conflict is a social psychological theory of human behavior. Kurt Lewin formulated field theory to explicate the balance between nature and nurture in understanding human behavior. These ideas had enormous influence on the field of communication. Briefly, human behavior is seen as the product of interaction between internal and external states, mediated by the individual's perceptions of these states. These states consist of a matrix of forces that explain stability and change in human social systems. This entry provides a brief history of the theory's origin, explains the concepts of Lewin's field theory, examines its applications, and distinguishes it from other theories with similar names.

Lewin, associated with but not a member of the early Frankfurt School, is widely acknowledged as the father of social psychology. Most psychologists in the early 20th century ascribed either to the psychoanalytic approach led by the ideas of Sigmund Freud or to the behaviorist approach, such as John B. Watson's classical behaviorism and B. F. Skinner's radical behaviorism. Psychoanalysts explained human behavior according to internal factors, including the unconscious.

Behaviorists eschewed internal explanations for human behavior in favor of predicting behavior according to observable changes in the individual's environment. Although these two schools of thought overlapped in some ways, the commonly known nature versus nurture debate sprung from this division in the field of psychology. Lewin's field theory [Page 399]bridged the debate, positing that behavior is a function of both the person and his or her environment: B = f(PE).

Lewin used the term life space to represent environment. A person's life space is the psychological field within which he or she acts; it is influenced by and influences the person's psychological state. Each individual is seen as acting in several fields (home, school, work, church, etc.). Lewin conceptualized behavior as purposeful and goal directed and fields as consisting of various forces, understandable only in terms of the individual's perception of them. Behavior is predicted by the interaction of the individual's motivations (internal forces) and his or her perceptions of interdependent external forces in the life space, or field. Attractive forces pull a person toward a behavior. Goals exert attractive force, creating disequilibrium in the life space force field. By enacting behaviors that achieve the goal, the individual restores equilibrium.

For example, a student who desires good grades (goal) enacts such behavior as going to class, studying, and writing papers to restore equilibrium (achieve the goal). Obstacles, or threats, exert repulsive force, creating disequilibrium. By enacting behaviors that reduce the threat, the individual restores equilibrium. A student, for instance, who fears failing (threat) enacts such behavior as going to class, studying, and writing papers to restore equilibrium (eliminate the threat). Thus, the same behaviors may stem from quite different perceptions of the field.

Barriers are boundaries with variable permeability around a region in a field. Our student exerts little effort when enacting equilibrium-restoring behaviors in the geometry region of his or her life space, but works harder in the chemistry region. Obstacles can function as barriers. A simple barrier is inexplicable (“I will never understand chemistry no matter how hard I work”); an obstacle boundary is not (“I don't understand chemistry because I don't have the proper background for the course”).

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