Attitude and response to emotion in dispute resolution: The experience of mediators

Mediation is widely used in court-connected contexts to deal with disputes. There is growing recognition of the role and impact of emotion in dispute resolution. This article describes the findings of qualitative empirical research from interviews with sixteen mediators from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The research reveals the mediators' attitudes, and strategies for addressing emotional expression in mediation. The findings demonstrate that most mediators in this group encourage or allow emotional expression rather than simply seeking to control it. These findings are discussed in the context of the growing literature in emotional expression as a part of conflict, and the role of mediators and other dispute resolution professionals to address it effectively in their work.