Negotiation

Negotiation, the communication between parties with perceived divergent interests aimed at reaching agreement, is used across many contexts to resolve social conflict. Often, negotiations involve multiple issues, such that parties can form integrative agreements that yield higher joint utility than a 50–50 compromise or a victory-for-one solution. However, in order to reach these agreements, parties need to choose the most optimal negotiation strategy, something they often fail to do. This is due to (i) information processing barriers and (ii) barriers related to social motivation. We discuss the effects of these barriers and how they can be overcome. Finally, we discuss current trends and future directions in negotiation research, focusing specifically on effects of emotions, multiparty contexts, and culture.