What happens during the felt conflict stage?

What happens during the felt conflict stage?

• A. Conflict has not yet developed, but factors are present.
• B. One party perceives a problem, even if actual conflict may not exist.
• C. An emotional response to conflict begins to develop.
• D. Parties involved are aware of the conflict and take action.

Answer: (C)

During the felt conflict stage, emotions connected to the disagreement start to surface. People become emotionally involved, experiencing tension, frustration, anger, or anxiety about the issue even before any overt actions occur. This marks a shift from simply recognizing a problem to feeling the impact of the conflict, which can influence how individuals think and behave as the situation moves toward confrontation. For example, teammates might feel irritated and emotionally charged about a workload difference, even if they haven’t yet confronted each other or taken any steps to resolve it. Addressing these feelings early helps prevent the conflict from escalating into open, observable actions. The latent stage would involve factors present but no awareness or emotion; the perceived stage involves cognitive recognition of a problem without emotional involvement; the manifest stage involves visible actions or behaviors.

During the felt conflict stage, emotions connected to the disagreement start to surface. People become emotionally involved, experiencing tension, frustration, anger, or anxiety about the issue even before any overt actions occur. This marks a shift from simply recognizing a problem to feeling the impact of the conflict, which can influence how individuals think and behave as the situation moves toward confrontation. For example, teammates might feel irritated and emotionally charged about a workload difference, even if they haven’t yet confronted each other or taken any steps to resolve it. Addressing these feelings early helps prevent the conflict from escalating into open, observable actions. The latent stage would involve factors present but no awareness or emotion; the perceived stage involves cognitive recognition of a problem without emotional involvement; the manifest stage involves visible actions or behaviors.