The Relationship Between Personal Values and Preferred Conflict Resolution Strategies with a Romantic Partner in Russia and Brazil

This study aimed to examine the cross-cultural differences in the association between the choice of conflict resolution strategy in romantic relationships and personal values in two countries, Russia and Brazil. The participants were 299 people from Russia (N=148, male=20%), and Brazil (N=151, male=49,2%). They filled out measures about preferred choices of conflict resolution strategies, personal values, self-esteem, romantic relationship satisfaction, conflict frequency, romantic relationship duration and sociodemographic information. In Russian sample results showed that the personal value Self-enhancement is positively associated with Competing and negatively with Accommodating; Self-transcendence positively associated with Accommodating and negatively with Competing. In Brazilian sample personal value Self-enhancement positively associated with Competing, a Self-transcendence positively associated with Compromising and negatively with Competing. Satisfaction with romantic relationships in Russia is positively associated with such conflict resolution strategies as Competing, Collaborating and Accommodating, the duration of relationships is positively associated with Romantic relationships satisfaction, and Conflict frequency is negatively associated with Romantic relationships satisfaction. In contrast, in Brazil, Compromising, Self-esteem and Conflict frequency are positively associated with Romantic relationships satisfaction. Being similar in some cultural dimensions of Hofstede, but still different in their specific cultural characteristics of the mentality, Russia and Brazil demonstrated both differences in the relationship between values and preference for choosing conflict resolution strategies, and also similarities.