Reflective visualization of dispute resolution

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution which aims at assisting disputants in reaching an agreement on a disputed matter. Debate ensues on what skills an individual needs to play a mediator´s role effectively. Education and training for mediators become complex issues. Then how can mediator´s skills be trained in spite that the skills can not be defined clearly? In cognitive science visualization of and reflection on one´s behavior is proven effective in such a situation. In this paper we explore a text processing method for reflective visualization of a dialogue. The dialogue is a time sequence of utterances from a mediator and disputants. The method visualizes an inter-topic association which foreshadows the intentional or unintentional subsequent development of topics indicated by temporal topics clusters far apart in time. The method is applied to a mediation case where a dispute between a seller and a buyer on cancelling an purchase transaction at an online auction site is resolved.