Emotional intelligence and mediation training

Abstract

Does mediation training sufficiently teach how to effectively manage strong emotions in mediation? What specific training in emotional self‐awareness and self‐regulation skills and approaches could prove useful? This research explores the role of emotional intelligence in mediation and describes approaches and strategies suggested by mediation trainers for working with emotions. Analysis of how emotional intelligence currently informs mediation training pedagogy, and how it could be better incorporated, is presented.

Managing conflict with emotional intelligence: abilities that make a difference

“…Fulmer and Barry (2004) theorize that emotionally intelligent negotiators will more accurately understand and manage highly charged situations. A survey of mediation training organizations found that emotions were rated as more important than substantive issues in mediation (Schreier, 2002).…”

Self-awareness emotional learning during mediation procedures in the school context

“…As Smilovitz (2008) states, the perception that the people in conflict have of the mediator's emotions affects the way in which they will organize, process and use the information. The research (Shreier, 2002, Lund, 2000 suggests how proper training which prepares the mediator to manage strong emotions must include the development of emotional competences in order to 1) increase his/her tolerance to the expression of emotions, 2) devel-pectations regarding the benefits of mediation. Shreier (2002) and Epstein & Silverman (2012) warn that some of the mediator's feelings such as empathy, active listening, confidence, recognition of needs, interests or concerns or the search for justice may lead the mediator to identify with the other person so much that he/she may distort the impartiality which must guide the process.…”

Emotional Intelligence and Dispute Mediation in Escalating and De‐Escalating Situations

“…Mediators who are high in EI are likely to identify the parties' subtle emotional cues, accurately evaluate probable consequences associated with particular statements, and attempt to manipulate the emotions of the parties so as to encourage integrative problem solving and issue settlement. For such reasons, Schreier (2002) and Shearhouse (2003) have called for EI to be incorporated into mediator training programs.…”

“…Recognizing these emotional aspects should affect the goals that the mediator sets for the intervention. Specifically, mediators who are sensitive to the many emotions present in a long‐term relationship should be more likely than those who are not sensitive to seek to understand and manage those aspects of the situation (Schreier, 2002). By contrast, mediators low in EI would be more likely to attend to only the dominant emotion shown by the negotiators.…”