Structure and dynamics of verbal conflict situation (based on the english language discourse)

The article provides the results of the verbal conflict analysis based on the English language dialogical discourse highlighting the problems related to its definition, structure and dynamics. The paper discusses a series of issues concerning the verbal conflict which is characterized by linguistic manipulation, i.e., by using language features and principles of its application on the purpose of hidden influence on the addressee in the right direction for the addresser. The article offers definitions of concepts of the verbal conflict situation, its phases and components, identifies actual and potential kinds of the verbal conflict, depicts individual images of the verbal conflict situation. The article considers the ideas of communicators of themselves and their partners on conflicting speech communication about the goals, opportunities, social characteristics and mental state; on the environment in which the verbal conflict occurs; on the code of communicative act; on the communication channel through which communicative interaction is carried out. The work characterises two types of actions that are part of a system of counter-actions in the context of emotional states, the purpose of which is to block the intentions of another communicator directly or indirectly and to achieve the ultimate purpose. Direct or indirect going out of the verbal conflict situation is characterised. Among the various manipulative communicative steps there are the tactics which are known to psychologists and specialists in the theory of communication, such as: masking one’s own intentions; outright misinformation of the enemy; false consent; enticement; expectation; demonstration of false and true goals (distraction of attention); bluff, etc. Escalation of the verbal conflict is treated as clashing on the subject-activity basis or on the personal basis. Several variants of the actual course of the conflict speech interaction are distinguished. Finally, we offer some concluding remarks and suggestions for further investigations.