The article examines one of the most important aspects of mediation behavior, namely, the factors that influence the choice of a mediation strategy. A conceptual framework accounting for mediation behavior is developed, and an original data set on cases of international mediation is utilized to suggest the validity of the framework. The analysis indicates the importance of motivational and contextual factors in explaining mediation behavior and strategies. The article argues that greater attention should be given to the context of a dispute in future studies on international mediation.