Face and resilience in divorce

Abstract

Facework and resilience frameworks were employed to examine threats to, and the protection of, marital partners’ identity during divorce and as they relate to outcomes associated with divorce. Divorced participants ( N = 103) reported on the communicative face threats and support during divorce, reporting greater positive face threat and negative facework during divorce. The non-initiator experienced negative outcomes, including negative face threat and negative emotion, but reported no differences in stress when compared to the initiator or mutual decision makers. In addition, positive face threats and facework during divorce predicted post-divorce relationships. Specifically, low positive face threat and high positive face support were related to divorcees’ inclination to engage in positive interpersonal relationships after the divorce.