Abstract
This Dissertation in Practice examined how experienced mediators elicit enhanced capacity from parties during unscripted aspects of mediation. The need for the study became evident to the researcher due to lack of fully-aligned curriculum and professional literature available regarding the potential impact that unscripted aspects of mediation could have on eliciting capacity from parties during conflict management efforts. Therefore, in this study 20 experienced mediators from certified mediation programs representing 22 states were interviewed telephonically using semi-structured, open-ended questions from a phenomenological, bracketing approach. Textural and structural descriptions were coded using concept coding methodologies and the findings resulted in seven thematic areas: Unscripted Actions, Unscripted Beliefs, Capacity Actions, Capacity Beliefs, Mediator Imagery, Mediator Background, and Mediator Motivation. Proposed recommendations from the findings included creating an Imagery Approach to Conflict model, and a Conflict Imagery Charting exercise for training resources, and development of theories outside of conflict management that further explain the need to bridge the abstract, unscripted aspects of mediation with the concrete, scripted aspects to help elicit enhanced capacity among disputing parties.
Keywords: mediation, conflict management, capacity, unscripted aspects, imagery