mutually beneficial outcome."
Cooperation may be achieved through mediation by an
international institution, the application of international law, cooperation strategies such as tit-for-
tat and GRIT, or the dominance of economic interdependence.
The approach that I will argue here is different than that presented by both realists and
neoliberals. The approach presented in this paper, in contrast to contentions by realists, assumes
that cooperation is possible, and even desirable, in the international system based on the personal
preferences and choices of individual leaders. Further, both realists and neoliberals assume that
the actors in the system behave cautiously, while considering and weighing their options based on
available information. In contrast to these contentions, I will utilize social psychological
approaches to international relations, which focus on the individual decision makers involved in
political situations. Specifically, I will argue that the personal belief systems and schemas of
Reagan and Gorbachev were instrumental in the decision-making process during the summit at
Reykjavik. I will further argue that the belief systems of the two leaders led to what Dean Pruitt
terms "coordinative" behavior, while also creating the situation that caused the summit to end in
failure.
This paper will be divided into four sections, as follows. First, Pruitt's theory of
coordinative behavior will be explored. In addition, specific focus on the role of belief systems and
schemas in negotiation behavior will be presented. Second, I will explore the belief systems of
Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev prior to the negotiations at Reykjavik. Third, the summit
between the leaders of the two superpowers at Reykjavik will be presented as a case study of
negotiating behavior. Finally, I will discuss the implications of belief systems in the Reagan-
Gorbachev relationship.
The Puzzle
As will be demonstrated in the following section, in addition to being a staunch anti-
Communist, Ronald Reagan was convinced that the dramatic increases in defense spending in the
3
Joseph Grieco, Cooperation Among Nations: Europe, America, and Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade (Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press, 1990) 22.
Convention