Conflict escalation

Conflict escalation is the process by which conflicts grow in severity over time. This may refer to conflicts between individuals or groups in interpersonal relationships, or it may refer to the escalation of hostilities in a political or military context. In systems theory, the process of conflict escalation is modeled by positive feedback.

Conflict escalation has a tactical role in military conflict and is often formalized with explicit rules of engagement. Highly successful military tactics exploit a particular form of conflict escalation. for example; controlling an opponent's reaction time allows the tactician to pursue or trap his opponent.

Although the involved parties may hope to reach a solution to their dispute quickly, psychological and interpersonal factors can frustrate their attempts to control the conflict, and in this case, conflict escalation occurs. A number of factors including the increased commitment to one's position, use of harder influence tactics, and formation of coalitions propel the escalation of the conflict.

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