RESEARCH_FILE
Gary W. Lewandowski Jr.
Monmouth University
Known for:Applying self-expansion theory to relationship endings — including evidence that leaving a low-quality relationship is followed by self-rediscovery and growth
Key findings
- 2006
The more a relationship had expanded the self, the more the working self-concept contracted after it ended — even controlling for pre-dissolution closeness. The size of the identity hit tracks what the relationship had added to who you were. Losing a self-expanding relationship: Implications for the self-concept ↗
- 2007
Among people whose relationships had recently ended, leaving a relationship low in self-expansion was followed by growth — more rediscovery of the self, less loss of self, and more positive emotions such as relief, confidence and energy. Addition through subtraction: Growth following the dissolution of a low quality relationship ↗