In the Dual Concern Model, behavior is determined by the importance placed on goals and relationships.

• A. The importance of your goals and relationships
• B. Your personality type
• C. The cultural norms in the setting
• D. The amount of resources you control

Answer: (A)

Conflict behavior is driven by how much you value your own goals versus maintaining the relationship. In the Dual Concern Model, two concerns guide actions: concern for your own outcomes (goals) and concern for the other person’s outcomes (the relationship). When you place high importance on your goals, you tend to act more assertively or competitively; when you place high importance on the relationship, you lean toward cooperation or accommodation. The statement that behavior is determined by the importance placed on goals and relationships captures these two dimensions that the model uses to explain how people respond in conflict. Other factors like personality, culture, or available resources can influence how those concerns are expressed, but they aren’t the core mechanism the model relies on.