ducks model of relationship breakdown

Question 1

what are the 4 phases of the relationship breakdown

Answer 1

• intrapsychic phase
• dyadic phase
• social phase
• grave dressing phase

Question 2

what instigates the movement of one phase to the next

Answer 2

the threshold

Question 3

whats the intra psychic phase

Answer 3

a partner thinks about their dissatissfaction with the relationship but this is not disclosed to others/partner
- ruminates

Question 4

whats the threshold for the intrapsychic phase

Answer 4

i cant stand this anymore (something must change)

Question 5

whats the dyadic phase

Answer 5

both partners are aware of the problem - there is confrontation, discussion

Question 6

whats the threshold for the dyadic phase

Answer 6

i would be justified with withdrawing

Question 7

whats the social phase

Answer 7

partners disclose their problems to others - friends and family become aware of the breakdown of the relationship
- time of negotiation and settling of arrangements

Question 8

whats the threshold for the social phase

Answer 8

i mean it

Question 9

how can the social phase address the relationship breakdown

Answer 9

friends/family can either be helpful and rationalise or unhelpful and support the breakup

Question 10

whats the grave dressing phase

Answer 10

each partner comes to terms with the breakup and rationalises it by constructing a narrative of events
- post relationship rationalisation of events and re building

Question 11

whats the threshold for the grave dressing phase

Answer 11

its now inevitable

Question 12

is progression to each stage inevitable

Answer 12

no its subjective to each relationship

Question 13

progression for stages is not

Answer 13

linear, can skip a stage or go forwards/backwards

Question 14

a limitation of ducks original model is that it fails to reflect the possibility of personal growth

Answer 14

• duck acknowledged that his 1982 model did not address growth
• this led to the introduction of a new model with a final phase of resurrection processes
• duck stressed that for many people this is an opportunity to move beyond the distress associated with the ending of a relationship and instead engage in the process of personal growth
• tashiro and frazier surveyed 92 undergraduates who had recently broken up with their partners and found that they not only experienced emotional distress but also personal growth
• this is a limitation of ducks original model as it fails to consider this important phase
• therefore research support for the existence of this new phase strengthens and gives validity to the updated model

Question 15

a strength of ducks model is that it offers real life applications to prevent relationship breakdown

Answer 15

• ducks model stresses the importance of communication
• paying attention to what and how things are said about a relationship offers insight into the relationship
• in the intrapsychic phase repair may involve reevaluating the partners behaviour in a more positive light
• different strategies can be used in different phases
• in the social phase people outside the relationship can help patch up differences
• this is a strength as it suggests the different stages provide different opportunities to prevent the relationship from breaking down
• therefore giving the theory positive practical applications and preventing people going through emotional suffering

Question 16

a limitation is that the research is based largely on individualistic cultures

Answer 16

• moghaddam argued that relationships in individualistic cultures are generally voluntary and frequently come to an end
• but relationships in collectivist cultures are more likely to be obligatory
• less easy to end and involve the whole family
• this means the model lacks explanatory power and application would not be useful in all cultures

Question 17

a limitation of this theory is that there are individual differences in the social phase experienced in the break up

Answer 17

• for teenagers and young adults relationships are largely seen by others as being testing grounds for future long term commitments
• as a result individuals may receive sympathy but no real attempt at reconcilliation from their friends
• on the grounds that there are plenty more fish in the sea
• but in older people in longer term relationships may have lower expectations for finding a replacement partner and consequences are more significant
• this suggests that for this age group the social phase may be characterised by more obvious attempts by others to rescue the current relationship
• this is a limitation as the theory doesnt apply to all relationships
• therefore the validity of the social phase varies by type of relationship and the age of individuals in that relationship