Mediation is a con ‡ict resolution method in which a third neutral party provides assistance to the con ‡ict parties. The process of mediation as well as any solution to the con ‡ict arising from it is implemented only by the consent of all con ‡ict parties. It is the role of a mediator to stimulate communication that leads to mutual understanding of the feasible con ‡ict outcomes, i.e. to complete information on solution consequences among the parties of the con ‡ict. This information is used

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... y the parties of the con ‡ict to evaluate their own as well as the others' consequences of a proposed solution to the con ‡ict. However, it is not clear whether the information itself, or the way it was obtained (by voluntary participation in a process in which it was collected) leads to a con ‡ict resolution. This paper concentrates on the bargaining behavior in a con ‡ict, abstracting from the mediators' methods and techniques. We design an experiment where two-person con ‡icts are resolved in an unstructured bargaining and study whether the way of obtaining information on the relative payo¤s in ‡uences the con ‡ict resolution process. We also study the demand for such information by individuals with various types of social preferences. This allows us to address the role of self-selection in the mediation process. JEL classi...cation: D74, C92, K49