First Advisor

Vandy Kanyako

Term of Graduation

Spring 2026

Date of Publication

7-23-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Conflict Resolution

Department

Conflict Resolution

Language

English

Physical Description

1 online resource (iii, 59 pages)

Abstract

Conflict Resolution has developed as a richly interdisciplinary field; however, its theoretical architecture remains fragmented across distinct bodies of scholarship. Existing approaches offer valuable but often isolated explanations of conflict behavior, limiting their ability to account for its complexity. This thesis addresses this limitation by advancing systems science as an organizing framework for integrating these perspectives. It introduces the Human-Complex Adaptive Systems (H-CAS) framework, which conceptualizes human behavior as a recursive adaptive process operating across interconnected regulatory domains. Within this model, conflict is not treated as a discrete event or purely deliberative process, but as an emergent property arising from the interaction of endogenous and exogenous stimuli processed through four functional stages: external stimuli, reflection, behavioral adjustment, and behavioral extrusion. The framework integrates cross-domain insights while incorporating the concept of negentropy to explain how individuals maintain adaptive order under conditions of stress and uncertainty. In doing so, it extends beyond traditional approaches centered on negotiation or institutional design by accounting for the underlying mechanisms shaping perception, decision-making, and action. This systems-oriented approach provides a unified conceptual architecture capable of bridging micro-, meso-, and macro-level analyses of conflict, while establishing a foundation for future empirical modeling of complex human systems.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45056

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