Conflict in the Time of (Post-) Corona: Some Assessments from Behavioral Economics

Abstract We present a non-technical assessment of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual level conflict behavior in the household, workplace, and societal interactions in the post-COVID era. We predict that there will be an increase in the intra-household conflict including domestic violence; and the divorce rate will rise. Within workplaces, the pandemic will result both in a higher level of sabotage among the employees, and employee retaliation towards the employer. The pandemic may also affect the diversity and inclusiveness within an organization adversely. In societal interactions, an increase in the identity related conflicts – especially related to the immigration status – can be observed. It is also likely that there will be an increase in the attack and defense or victimization activities in the society. We conclude by proposing various measures for conflict resolution, and a few possible areas of further investigations.