Parties to a conflict are interdependent. Each party's actions have an effect on the other, either aiding or hindering the other in their interests. In the conflict situation, this interdependence manifests itself through a mixture of incentives to either compete or cooperate. The parties perceptions of each other's motives can affect the balance of incentives. The authors begin by describing the sociological distinction between realistic and unrealistic conflicts.
Realistic conflicts focus on substantive issues of disagreement.
The goal is to resolve the disagreement. Participants generally draw upon a wide array of techniques to address such conflicts. This flexibility in approaching conflict is a characteristic of productive conflicts. In contrast, the goal of nonrealistic conflicts is the defeat or destruction of the opponent. Participants usually employ force, aggression and coercion.