Dr. Kenneth Kressel studies the nature and management of social conflict, with a particular focus on the use of third party mediation as a method for resolving highly polarized conflicts. Dr. Kressel has researched how professional mediators decide what to do when resolving disputes, looking at strategies and practices that lead to mediator success. In this conversation with Dr. Beth Fisher-Yoshida of AC4, he shares knowledge and insights on the role of tacit knowledge in mediator decisionmaking and on different mediator styles. "All mediation is local... context shapes the process," says Dr. Kressel, a professor ​in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University, with PhD from Columbia University.