Dissolution

Question 1

What is Duck’s full name?

Answer 1

Steve Duck

Question 2

List Duck’s three reasons for break-up.

Answer 2

1. Pre-Existing Doom
2. Mechanical Failure
3. Sudden Death

Question 3

Explain and give an example of Pre-Existing Doom.

Answer 3

A relationship that was never going to work. eg. religious differences, language barriers, large age gaps, etc

Question 4

Explain and give an example of Mechanical Failure.

Answer 4

Life changes that lead to changes in profitability and fairness. Maintenance strategies not working. eg. having children, grief, depression, having to care for someone

Question 5

Explain and give an example of Sudden Death.

Answer 5

Something that happens that means the relationship will immediately no longer work for at least one partner. eg. an affair, domestic violence

Question 6

With knowledge of Duck’s 3 reasons, what practical application might a person find?

Answer 6

If someone notices that all their relationships were doomed from the start then they can examine why they consistently select unsuitable partners.

Question 7

How might social exchange theory/equity theory explain the dissolution of relationships?

Answer 7

Relationships will breakup if the relationship becomes unprofitable/inequitable and the comparison level for alternatives is better than the current relationship when barriers are taken into account.

Question 8

What can economic theories explain when it comes to breakups?

Answer 8

Why people respond differently to challenges in their relationships and why some end and some don’t.

Question 9

What research supports the use of economic theories in explaining dissolution?

Answer 9

DE MARIS: longitudinal study of 1500 american couples. a woman feeling under-benefited was single biggest predictor of relationship breakdown

Question 10

Which group of psychologists criticise the economic theories and what do they say?

Answer 10

Humanistic Psychologists: human characteristics include qualities like personal responsibility, values and spirituality. More positive picture than dehumanising economic theories.

Question 11

Chronologically list and explain Rollie & Duck’s Six Stages of Separation.

Answer 11

1. Breakdown (something happens to make relationship untennable)
2. Intra-psychic (personally think about why you’re unhappy)
3. Dyadic (tell the other person you’re unhappy)
4. Social (tell friends and family you’re unhappy)
5. Grave Dressing (construct ‘story’ to tell people typically making yourself look innocent)
6. Resurrection (think about what you have learnt from this relationship and consider future ones)

Question 12

What mnemonic can you use to remember Rollie & Duck’s Six Stages?

Answer 12

Ditch Is Dirty So Get Rid (say the stages again)

Question 13

What research supports the resurrection stage of Rollie and Duck’s 6 stages?

Answer 13

Frazier et al: undergraduates who had recently broken up experienced personal growth as well as personal distress.

Question 14

How could the Dyadic stage help couples? [P]

Answer 14

It emphasises the importance of communication between the couple which may help before a complete breakdown of the relationship - couples therapy would help during this stage.

Question 15

Why cant we conduct controlled experiments in this area and what might psychologists do instead?

Answer 15

Ethical reasons - we can’t control factors in a couples breakup! Use self-report techniques instead.

Question 16

What are the problems with self-report techniques? [W]

Answer 16

Socially-desirable answers as people want to be seen in a good light and Rollie and Duck found that people reinvent the past to preserve a good reputation in the grave dressing stage.

Question 17

Why might research into dissolution be ethnocentric? [W]

Answer 17

It assumes that relationships are temporary and that breakup is an option whereas this is not the case in some non-Western cultures where divorce is not an option.