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Competition and social perception
Although conflict begins with competition, thought and perception provide the fuel that fans its flames. In most wars, long before the first shot is fired, an image of the enemy is first constructed that renders them as worthy of killing. This endeavor is aided by many of the social perceptual processes that we saw earlier.  Conflict reduction
Just as conflict has its origins in competition and perception, changing the situation and dealing with the perceptions of the people engaged in conflict can reduce it. Consider social traps. Imagine that a grocery store was organized like public television. People would be asked to make a contribution, but they could take whatever they wanted even if they didn't contribute. It is easy to imagine that both the store's shelves and its coffers would soon be empty. So how is this tragedy of the commons prevented in grocery stores? It is prevented by regulation. Laws prohibit people from taking groceries without paying for them. Similarly, fines and regulations are often imposed on polluters to encourage them to behave in ways that benefit others. When done correctly, regulations that limit opportunities to pursue individual interests at the expense of the common good can help avoid social traps.
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So
one way to reduce conflict is to alter the facts of the situation.
Another way to reduce conflict is to alter the perceptions of
conflicting parties. Here communication plays a key role. In one
of the earliest studies of conflict, Morton Deutch and Robert
Krauss <REF>(1960) found that conflict was reduced when
the opponents could communicate with each other. Similarly, self-fulfilling
prophecies are less likely to occur when each party is aware of
the expectations the other party holds <REF>(Hilton &
Darley, 1985). Communication allows conflicting parties to discuss
their intentions and perceptions and provides an opportunity to
correct misperceptions. While it is not a panacea, communication
typically helps reduce conflict.
