Abstract: Interpersonal conflicts always happen during everyday life, and have been widely explored by researchers. In the past, scholars from all kinds of research fields have put their focus on interpersonal conflict resolution strategies, using concepts developed in west culture. As a Confucian culture, it is widely known that harmony is one of the most important social values cherished by Chinese people. Based on this, some scholars proposed that this specific culture value may influence the considerations when people manage their interpersonal conflict. But few studies have explored the role of harmony in Chinese interpersonal conflict management. This study aims to explore whether Chinese people would prefer to pursue “harmony” or “personal goals” when confronting interpersonal conflicts. In two studies, we examined the preference of individuals pursuing “harmony” or “personal goals” when they were in conflict with others and the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). Results demonstrate that people prefer to pursue harmony when they are in conflicts with others, regardless of their and the other parties SES. Limits and suggestions for future studies are discussed.

Key words: interpersonal conflict, harmony pursuing, personal goals pursuing, socioeconomic status