To Evaluate or Facilitate? Parties’ Perceptions of Mediation Affected by Mediator Style

Dispute Resolution Magazine, Vol. 7, p. 35, Winter 2001

1 Pages Posted: 12 Dec 2010

See all articles by Roselle Wissler

Roselle Wissler

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

Date Written: 2001

Abstract

This article reports findings from four empirical studies of mediation in civil and domestic relations cases that examined the effect of mediator style on parties' perceptions of mediation. The mediator's encouraging the parties to express their feelings and summarizing what the parties said had by far the strongest and most consistently positive effects on parties' perceptions. If the mediator evaluated the merits of the case and made some suggestions about possible settlements, the parties generally had more favorable perceptions of mediation. But if the mediator recommended a specific settlement, parties felt pressured to settle and thought the mediation process was less fair and the mediator was less neutral. When mediators kept silent about their views of the case, parties' perceptions were generally neither enhanced nor diminished. Overall, similar patterns of findings were observed in both civil and domestic relations mediation.

Keywords: mediation, mediator style, empirical research

Suggested Citation

Wissler, Roselle, To Evaluate or Facilitate? Parties’ Perceptions of Mediation Affected by Mediator Style (2001). Dispute Resolution Magazine, Vol. 7, p. 35, Winter 2001, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1723382

Roselle Wissler (Contact Author)

Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University ( email )

111 E. Taylor St.
Mail code 9520
Phoenix, AZ 85004-4467
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
194
Abstract Views
1,245
Rank
282,310
PlumX Metrics