Behaviors in Moments of Disagreement: Turning Points in High-Stakes Problem Solving

Abstract: Disagreement is often central to high-stakes problem solving, yet managing the tradeoff between asserting one’s position and accommodating others remains difficult. Using dyadic video-call data and post-call evaluations of outcomes from both high-stakes (N = 4,153 speaker turns) and low-stakes contexts (N = 63,416 speaker turns), we examine how critical moments during disagreement shape whether disagreements are experienced as constructive. Dyads that rated their disagreements as constructive exhibited critical moments characterized by question asking, positive framing, direct address, and inclusive language, typically preceded by clearer and less energetically forceful expressions from their partner. In contrast, unconstructive disagreements were marked by abrupt breaks from conversational norms, including sharp shifts toward self-focus behavior, including increased use of direct commands, and negation. Together, these findings suggest that problem-solving success depends on engaging differences directly while maintaining mutual regard.

Keywords: Constructive disagreement, multimodal analysis, computational social science