---
title: "Confrontation analysis"
chunk: 2/2
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confrontation_analysis"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:56:22.286673+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

A second example on the left shows the other two dilemmas: The trust dilemma and the co-operation dilemma.  This example is taken from lead-up to the 2003 Iraq war.
Here the USA thought that Saddam Hussein was developing Weapons of Mass Destruction.  Saddam said he was not, but the USA doubted this and thought that he was.  They therefore invaded Iraq.
Confrontation analysis does not necessarily produce a win-win solution (although end states are more likely to remain stable if they do); however, the word confrontation should not necessarily imply that any negotiations should be carried out in an aggressive way.
The card tables are isomorphic to game theory models. The aim is to find the dilemmas facing participants and so help to forecast how the participants might change the options table to eliminate them. The forecast requires both analysis of the model and its dilemmas, and also exploration of the reality outside the model; both will show the strategies the participant might use change the options table to eliminate dilemmas.
Sometimes analysis of the ticks and crosses can be supported by values showing the payoff to each of the parties.

== References ==

== External links ==
ConfrontationAnalysis.info A public domain website with instructions about how to do Version 2.5 of confrontation analysis with a tutorial page.
Decision Workshops - A public domain website using Version 2.2 of confrontation analysis with many examples
Dilemma Explorer - A software application to do Version 2.5 of Confrontation Analysis
Confrontation Manager — A software application using Version 1 of Confrontation Analysis.
Confronteer an iPhone app to do Version 2 of Confrontation Analysis.
Smith R, Tait A, Howard N (1999) Confrontations in War and Peace Contains a description of Operation Desert Storm and the 1996 Bosnian Crisis using Version 1 of Confrontation Analysis.
N. Howard, 'Confrontation Analysis: How to win operations other than war', CCRP Publications, 1999 (used Version 1 of Confrontation Analysis)
P. Bennett, J. Bryant and N. Howard, 'Drama Theory and Confrontation Analysis' — can be found (along with other recent PSM methods) in: J. V. Rosenhead and J. Mingers (eds) Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited: problem structuring methods for complexity, uncertainty and conflict, Wiley, 2001. (Version 1)
J. Bryant, The Six Dilemmas of Collaboration: inter-organisational relationships as drama, Wiley, 2003. (Version 1)
N. Howard, Paradoxes of Rationality', MIT Press, 1971 (Version 1)
How to structure disputes using Confrontation Analysis contains an illustrated explanation of Version 2 of Confrontation Analysis.
Speed Confrontation Management a brief "How to" manual on doing Confrontation Analysis without using an Options Table.