With respect to divorce, the key attribution may not be whether the
problem is internal or external (my fault or not my fault), but the extent to
which the divorce was avoidable. In terms of external attributions, people
who believe that the marriage broke up because of problems with erratic
work schedules (for example) also may believe that there was little intrinsically
wrong with the relationship itself. This belief may lead people to
speculate, “What if my job had not been so demanding?” A sense that the
marriage could have survived under other circumstances may make it difficult
to establish closure and accept the finality of the divorce. Correspondingly,
people who blame the spouse may believe that the marriage
could have been salvaged were it not for the spouse’s bad behavior. Attributing
blame to a former spouse, therefore, is likely to generate feelings of
anger and resentment, making it more difficult for people to let go of the
former spouse.