The psychology of negotiation

Available for over a year

Our lives are full of tiny yet crucial negotiations. Do you let the other car pull out first from the junction? Who steps through the doorway first? Who takes the last biscuit?. Passing almost unnoticed, they are an essential social lubricant and are based on an unspoken, common understanding. It's when there are no shared expectations, or where there's a direct conflict, that negotiations take on a very different character. If it's personal, it's a relationship-threatening row. If it's political, then the result can be war. In this week's Human Zoo, Michael Blastland explores the psychology of negotiation - from how to ask for a pay rise to the story of the Polish psychologists who helped engineer one of the most successful political handovers in modern history. Producer: Toby Murcott A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.