“Wait … did you just call me fat?”: A multimethod study of U.S. Americans’ facework in an intercultural face-threatening act

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines the facework of U.S. Americans in an intercultural interaction where one party unknowingly violates the U.S. cultural norm. Through data collected from both participants’ self-reported surveys and researchers’ observations of 103 U.S. Americans, the study found that the participants primarily rely on avoidance when dealing with an unexpected norm-violating intercultural encounter. U.S. Americans’ avoiding facework is characterized mainly by brief verbal explanations and nonverbal cues such as withdrawing eye contact and displaying smiles. Results from structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that situational face threats mediate the relationship between individuals’ face needs and facework. The study provides both theoretical and methodological implications for facework research and offers practical suggestions for effective intercultural communication.