The Cultural Determinants of Strategic Bias in Conflict Resolution

Abstract

We examine the impact of individuals’ religious and political affiliations on the conflict resolution strategies they employ. Participants in the U.S., Israel, and Qatar played the interactive computer game PeaceMaker (ImpactGames, 2006) with the objective of satisfying constituents on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict. We find a “reverse bias” favoring participants’ non-affiliated side in the role of Israeli Prime Minister, but bias favoring one’s affiliated side when playing the role of Palestinian President. We interpret this difference in light of minority-majority group membership, and deliberate assertion of in-group interests versus perspective-taking of out-group interests. Finally, we discuss the potential of interactive computer games to study conflict resolution in other dynamic environments characterized by uncertainty and complex interdependencies.