The emergence of conflicts is typically explained by a non-compatible interests and bargaining failure. However, many conflicts emerge because one party misinterprets intentions of the other party. Such misinterpretation has usually a form of the so called Hobbesian trap when party A's action may be interpreted as aggressive, party B infers that party A is likely to be aggressive and acts aggressively itself. The project investigates factors that triggers and mitigates such conflicts. The project includes three experimental designs that focus on the role of interplay between predatory and preemptive motives, third-party cheap talk and negative reciprocity in conflicts triggered by misinterpretation of intentions.