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Abstract

This interpretive inquiry applies three theories dealing with interpersonal conflict to a career related conversation between a father and his adolescent son. Benjamin's structural analysis (2003), Pearce and Littlejohn's systemic communications model (1997), and Mindell's process-oriented psychology (2000) each portray the dyad interaction. An action analysis of the interpretive procedure, conception of conflict, and conflict resolution intervention provides a basis for comparing the theories. The findings identified temporal parsing, metaphor and teleonomy in the pattern recognition algorithm as distinguishing features of each approach.