In this historical period, the difficult issue of international negotiation appears even more problematic than in the past, given the new, and in many ways unpre- dictable, developments of world politics. The numerous political, economic and anthropological problems underlining the world equilibrium could be better faced using the contribution of psychology of training and of cognitive psychother- apy (individual and of group). This is not because these disciplines offer magic solutions, but rather because of the positive operational consequences that the knowledge and the techniques set up in these sectors may provoke.

Global interests are at stake at the treaty table. But personalities on either side can create difficulties apart from the issues. A skilled negotiator needs to be able to defuse the tensions and misperceptions that can derail progress. But there are few resources that offer a combination of psychological knowledge with the skills of persuasion.

Now, a unique collaboration between experts in cognitive psychotherapy and political science, Psychological Processes in International Negotiations provides such a resource. Drawing on a wide range of theory and data, from neuroscientific findings and historical events to Albert Ellis’ rational-emotive model of behavior to attachment and meta-cognitive functions, the book explains how the negotiation process works, under both adverse and optimum conditions. The authors identify psychological elements (in participants and in negotiators themselves) that have the greatest effect on negotiation outcomes, including group identity and groupthink, egocentrism, emotional awareness and competence, and the various interpersonal and communication skills, as well as steps readers can take to improve their performance. With this book, negotiators have the tools to come to clear judgments and creative, non-aggressive solutions.

Highlights of the coverage:

Cognition and emotion in the context of negotiation.

Characteristics/traits of successful, proactive negotiators.

Cognitive views of war and international crisis.

Meta-communications and the working relationship.

Emotive keys to coping with stalemates.

Summaries of a 15-session cognitive/emotional training program for negotiators, and the proposed European Cognitive School of International Negotiation.

"Practical guide" sections linking theoretical and practical material.

This synthesis of scientific insights and real-world applications makes Psychological Processes in International Negotiations necessary reading for negotiators, mediators, and conflict managers, psychologists, and psychotherapists, as well as for students and researchers in this field. The authors’ premise is clear: peace and stability create winners on all sides.

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

1.Introduction: Theoretical and Psychological Aspects of International Negotiation

 1.1. Introduction

 1.2. International Cooperation

 1.3. A Few Questions

 1.4. International Negotiation

 1.5. Value Claiming/Creating Strategies and the Interpersonal Dimension

 1.6. Negotiating a Working Relationship

 1.7. Cognition-Emotion Eliciting in International Negotiation

 1.8. Communication and Negotiation Process

 1.9. A Research Project

 1.10. Practical Guide: Necessary Awareness for Negotiators

2.Peace Psychology, War Prevention: Coping with Psychological Elements

 2.1. Psychological Insight in the Study of International Crisis

 2.2. Leadership Matters

 2.3. Groupthink

 2.4. Symptoms of Groupthink

 2.5. Groupthink Consequences

 2.6. How Group Membership may Influence the Individual?

 2.7. Leaders' Interpretation of Events

 2.8. International Crisis

 2.9. Can Crisis Be Managed?

 2.10. Crisis Management

 2.11. Options and Strategies

 2.12. Implementation Strategy

 2.13. How is it then that so Many Crises Have not Been Well Managed?

 2.14. The Role Cognition Plays in the Outbreak and Conduct of War

 2.15. Perceptions and Misperceptions

 2.16. Misperceptions and Self-fulfilling Prophecy

 2.17. Misperception and Communications Failure

 2.18. Evolving Circumstances

 2.19. Problem Identification

 2.20. Information processing

 2.21. Ends and Means

 2.22. Concluding Remarks

 2.23. Practical Guide: Cognitive Processes and Emotions

3.Cognitive, Emotional, and Communicative Aspects in International Negotiation: Affective Neuroscience Contribution to the General Understanding of the Negotiation Process

 3.1. Introduction

 3.2. Perceived and Misperceived Reality

 3.3. Negotiators are Human Beings

 3.4. Interpersonal Relationships

 3.5. Emotions and Negotiation

 3.6. Human Communication Process

 3.7. The Cognitive Model

 3.8. Analysis of Beck's Cognitive Model (1976, 1988, 1999, 2002)

 3.9. Analysis of Ellis' Cognitive Model: Rational-Emotive, and Behavioural Approach (1992, 1994; 2004; Ellis & Crawford, 2000)

 3.10. Cognitive Interpersonal Cycles

 3.11. Metacommunication Process and Working Relationship

 3.12. Neuroscience and International Negotiation

 3.13. The Influence of Emotion in the Decision-Making Process...

 3.14. Human Consciousness

 3.15. Motivational Processes

 3.16. Interpersonal Motivational Systems

 3.17. Affective Neuroscience

 3.18. Concluding Remarks

 3.19. Practical Guide: Interpersonal Motivational Systems and their Application in the Negotiation Context

4.Emotional Competence in International Negotiation

 and Mediation Practice

 4.1. Introduction

 4.2. Emotional Experience

 4.3. Emotional Communication

 4.4. Addressing Emotion in a Negotiation Context

 4.5. Emotional Communication in Action During International Negotiation

 4.6. Emotional Competence

 4.7. Concluding Remarks

 4.8. Practical Guide: The Metarepresentational Functions and their Application to the International Negotiation

5.Addressing Cognition and Emotion in Negotiation and Co-Mediation Practice: A Research Project

 5.1. Introduction

 5.2. Improving a Working Relationship

 5.3. Social Change

 5.4. The EU Negotiation Process

 5.5. Research Aim

 5.6. Research Methodology

 5.7. Descriptive Analysis

 5.8. Answer Percentage on Researched Personal Characteristics

 5.9. Negative Characteristics

 5.10. Positive Characteristics

 5.11. Concluding Remarks

 5.12. Practical Guide: What can the Negotiator Learn from the Research on Negotiation and from that on Hope?

6.What Psychotherapy Has Done and Can Offer

 for International Negotiation and Mediation

 6.1. Cognitive Psychotherapy and International Negotiation: Historical Features

 6.2. Critics of the Standard Cognitive Approach

 6.3. Application Sphere

 6.4. Contribution Synthesis

 6.5. Metarepresentation and Metacognition

 6.6. Concluding Remarks

 6.7. Practical Guide: Cognitive Social Psychotherapy in Action

7.Further Directions: Toward a Cognitive-Oriented Post-Graduate School of Negotiation and Mediation

 7.1. The Project of a European Cognitive School of International Negotiation

 7.2. Practical Guide: Group Cognitive Training and Trainees' Characteristics

8.Practice and Exercises for Negotiators and Mediators

 8.1. Concrete Objectives

 8.2. Improving Comprehension of Processes: How to Negotiate

 8.3. A Three-Dimensional Theory of Individual Knowledge: Cognitive-Emotional Organization, Attachment Modality, Meta-Cognition Development

 8.4. The Cognitive-Emotional Organizations and their Evolutionary Meaning

 8.5. The Attachment Modalities and the Internal Working Models

 8.6. The Personality Behind Types of Cognitive Egocentrism, Problematic Interpersonal Cycles, Levels of Metacognition, Organization of Aims, Control/Discontrol of Impulses

 8.7. Diagnosis and Self-Diagnosis of the Three Dimensions

 8.8. Improving Cognitive Skills and Overcoming Cognitive Distortions

 8.9. Improving Behavioural and Social Skills

 8.10. Improving Communicative Skills

 8.11. Improving Emotional Competence and Metacognitive Functions

 8.12. Improving Mindfulness and Concentration

 8.13. Improving Frustration Tolerance and Hope Processes

9.Features of a Training Program Organised in 15 Meetings; Frontal/Face to Face Lessons, Art-Therapeutic Techniques, Microanalysis of Negotiation Sequences, Emotional and Metacognitive Awareness, Overcoming of Egocentrism, and Renarration of Experience

 9.1. First Day

 9.2. Second Day

 9.3. Third Day

 9.4. Fourth Day

 9.5. Fifth Day

 9.6. Sixth Day

 9.7. Seventh Day

 9.8. Eighth Day

 9.9. Ninth Day

 9.10. Tenth Day

 9.11. Eleventh Day

 9.12. Twelfth Day

 9.13. Thirteenth Day

 9.14. Fourteenth Day

 9.15. Fifteenth Day

10.Conclusion:

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

References

Index