Everything DiSC® Productive Conflict Reference Guide identifies multiple conflict actions, including Drama. The information they offer says:
“On the surface, melodrama may seem like a simple inability to rein in one’s emotions, but this behavior is not always about yelling or acting out. In essence, when we create drama, we are drawing attention to a situation that is troubling for us. This attention validates that the dilemma is, in fact, extremely important and that the injustice that’s been done to us is, in fact, extremely unjust. Creating drama can also produce a feeling of control in a situation where we otherwise feel powerless. Ask yourself: Even if this feels good in the moment, what lasting impression am I leaving on other people?”
I just watched a short video clip of a woman overly dramatizing her interaction with a police officer because she didn’t want to sign a ticket even though she agreed she was in the wrong. The officer was calm, clear, and respectful and gave her the option to sign the ticket or get arrested. After several attempts to encourage her to sign the ticket and she was continually refusing, the officer then made the arrest. The drama that was on display was unbelievable. Towards the end, she was begging the officer to let her sign the ticket. I would agree with the DiSC® guide, that she may have been producing a feeling of control for herself, and perhaps in her mind she was being treated unjustly and felt powerless. None the less, her reactions caused the conflict and left a negative impression. It is hard to tell what other people are thinking and what motivates them to act out in certain ways. If I am tempted to create drama in a situation, the question about what lasting impression will I leave on others will hopefully overrule the temptation to go down that drama slippery slope.
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You can find more information including a video on Everything DiSC® Productive Conflict here:
