The Effect of Face Loss on Willingness to Confront Hurtful Messages from Romantic Partners

An individual's imagined hurt, face loss, and willingness to confront were hypothesized to vary with the social context and type of face attack expressed by a romantic partner. Undergraduates responding to hypothetical scenarios indicated greater imagined hurt and willingness to confront the attack when insulted versus when teased. Individuals reported more face loss from public versus private attacks. Individuals were less willing to confront public attacks, implying that individuals are sensitive to the type of face attack but are concerned about losing face in a public confrontation.

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