What is Adversarial Behavior?
Not all interaction is cooperative. Human interaction can also be adversarial, meaning that it is organized around rivalry, opposition, obstruction, resistance, or attempts to gain advantage at another's expense.
Adversarial behavior occurs when actors relate to one another in ways shaped mainly by incompatible interests, negative interdependence, or active opposition rather than mutual accommodation.
Under this broader category, two major forms are competition and conflict.
Competition as adversarial behavior
Competition is adversarial interaction organized around rivalrous goals, often under conditions of scarcity, comparison, or exclusion.
Competition occurs when actors pursue outcomes that cannot all be equally realized, or when relative advantage matters.
Examples:
- competing for status
- firms competing for customers
- students competing for a prize
- athletes competing to win
- political candidates competing for votes
Conflict as adversarial behavior
Conflict is adversarial interaction organized around active opposition, resistance, or attempts to block, defeat, constrain, or harm another actor.
Conflict occurs when actors directly oppose one another's actions, aims, claims, or presence.
Examples:
- arguing
- threatening
- coercing
- insulting
- resisting
- punishing
- physically fighting
- sabotage
- legal disputes
How competition and conflict relate within adversarial behavior
Competition and conflict are distinct forms of adversarial behavior, but they often overlap.
Competition can become conflict when rivalry turns into direct opposition. Conflict can also occur without prior competition.
Examples:
- two firms competing may begin litigation
- a political rivalry may escalate into open confrontation
- a protest movement may conflict with authorities even when the issue is not a simple contest for a scarce prize