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MEDIATOR NEUTRALITY AND STORYTELLING ORDER

NCJ Number
141275
Journal
Mediation Quarterly Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1992) Pages: 187-192
Author(s)
R M Fuller; W D Kimsey; B C McKinney
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Twenty-four undergraduate students participated in a study designed to investigate the issue of disputant perception of mediator neutrality resulting from storytelling sequence to determine whether storytelling phase disclosure order significantly altered disputants' perception of mediator neutrality.
Abstract
Each of 23 mediation role-play sessions was mediated by the same two trained mediators and used the same conflict situation. Disputants' position in order of storytelling significantly influenced the perception of mediator neutrality. Those disputants in the traditional mediation setting who told their story in the primacy position consistently judged the mediators to be less controlling. Disputants telling their stories in the recency position in traditional mediation settings perceived mediators to be exercising more control. The variables relevant to competence, technical skill, and listening did not appear to be significantly affected by storytelling in either the primacy or recency position. Mediators need to recognize the importance of the primacy storytelling position and to be sensitive to perceptions that result from storytelling order or sequence. 12 references

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