Under which circumstances will formerly hostile parties come together and choose a peaceful settlement over a further escalation of violence? And how can mediators foster these conciliatory circumstances? These questions lie at the very heart of conflict studies. Psychological models, however, have traditionally played only a minor role in this particular discipline. Social psychologist Dean G. Pruitt aims to correct this underrepresentation by employing the conflict parties' own perceptions and cognitive processes to explain the beginning and cessation of war. In order to assess the...