The purpose of this research is to test (a) the effects of initial interaction of advice provision-characterized by solicitation of advice and want for advice-on the recipient's perception of positive and negative face threat and (b) the mediating role of perceived face threat between initial interaction type and the evaluation of advice helpfulness in the context of graduate students' adjustment. First-year graduate students in a large university were surveyed about their past advice receiving experience (N = 128), which began with one of the three types of initial interaction: (a) when advice was wanted and solicited; (b) when advice was wanted but unsolicited; and (c) when advice was unwanted and unsolicited. The quantitative data results showed that the recipient felt significantly less positive face threat in the wanted but unsolicited interaction, and felt significantly greater negative face threat when advice was unwanted and unsolicited. Also, it was found that only perceived negative face threat served the mediating role between the type of initial interaction and the evaluation of advice helpfulness. The qualitative data suggested that graduate students do not like asking for advice from another person due to positive face threat-related concerns and that they tend to seek advice from an advice giver who seemed to feel less negative face threat upon their request. The importance of the distinction between psychological want for advice and discursive solicitation of advice and refining the measurement of face threat were highlighted in the discussion for future research.
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