Breakdown of relationships. Flashcards
Reasons for relationship breakdown? Duck.
Lack of skills: people might lack the skills to make them mutually satisfying, this can be because the person is a poor conversationalist for example. Over time their partner can find them generally unrewarding which leads to the relationship breakdown.
Lack of stimulation: the lack of stimulation can come from boredom or belief that the relationship is not going anywhere which can lead to a relationship breakdown. People expect relationships to change and develop but when they don’t it can lead to a breakdown.
Maintenance difficulties: relationships can become strained because the couples do not see each other enough which can therefore lead to a relationship breakdown. It gets overwhelming for the people to keep the relationship.
Evaluation - Boekhout et al + affairs.
He showed that affairs can be a major contribution to relationship breakdown.
Affairs might be the direct reaction to the lack of skills or stimulation.
He asked individuals to rate various sexual and emotional reasons for men and women to become unfaithful.
It was judged that the sexual reasons came from men (e.g. boredom) and the emotional reasons came from women (e.g. lack of skills)
Evaluation - Rohfling, Holt + Stone - long distance.
It was found that long distant relationships are more common than we think which can dispute maintenance difficulties.
Rohfling found in a study that 70% of students have experienced a long term relationship and 90% of students have experienced a long distance friendship.
Holt and Stone also found little relationship dissatisfaction if the lovers reunited regularly.
Model of breakdown - Duck and Rollie. Bid I Die So God Rises?
Breakdown: dissatisfaction with the relationship.
Intrapsychic process: characterised by brooding process in relationship, people might express feeling through the diary for example.
Dysaic process: partners confront over their relationship and the future, it could be a chance to save the relationship.
Social process: seek help from the 3rd parties, this can be family or friends for example.
Grave-dressing: tries to clean up relationship memories, reinterprets view of partner.
Resurrection process: people prepare themselves for new relationships by redefining themselves.
Evaluation - ethical issues.
This is all a sensitive area as it can bring up the past and expose people to vulnerability.
It can also be an invasion of privacy as it requires past relationship details.
If women are talking about past abusive relationships they might fear recrimination from their past partner if the abuser discovers the participation.
Researcher then faces a choice of obtaining information which is vital for the research or terminating the participants involvement so they are protected.
Evaluation - Tashio and Frazier.
They support the model as they surveyed undergraduates who has recently broken up with their partners.
They didn’t only experience emotional distress but also personal growth.
Supports model as it shows the breakdown model: grave-dressing and resurrection.
