DUCKS PHASED MODEL

Question 1

Duck’s phased model of relationship breakdown - why do relationships breakdown?

Answer 1

Reasons for a relationship breakdown -
- Pre-existing doom - incompatibility
- Mechanical failure - growing apart
- Sudden death - infidelity, traumatic incident

Factors contributing to dissolution:
- personal factors
- precipitating factors
- lack of skills
- lack of motivation
- lack of maintenance

Dissolution normally occurs with one partner initiating the process:
- The private reasons for a breakdown in a relationship are normally different to the ones given socially
- Hatfield - the individual who experiences initial dissatisfaction experiences resentment and withdrawal

Question 2

Duck’s phased model - Phase 1

Answer 2

Intrapsychic:
- Threshold - ‘I am done with this’
- Behaviours - focus on partner’s behaviour, adequacy in performance, costs of withdrawal and they either repress or express this

Evidence -
- Kassin - women stress the unhappiness and incompatibility for break ups whereas men blame lack of sex. Women like to remain friends but men prefer a clean break up.
- Argyle - women identify a lack of emotional support as reasons for dissolution wherese men cite lack of fun.

Question 3

Duck’s phased model - Phase 2

Answer 3

Dyadic:
- Threshold - ‘I am justified’
- Behaviours - Confrontation or avoidance, Negotiation and relationship talks, Repair or reconciliation and Joint assessment of withdrawal

Evidence -
- Tashiro - when people who brought about dissolution review the relationship rather than own actions they see the breakup in a more positive light

Question 4

Duck’s phased model - Phase 3

Answer 4

Social:
- Threshold - ‘I mean it’
- Behaviours - Negotiate post dissolution, Initiate social network, Create public accounts, Face up to implied social networking effects

Evidence -
- Akert - the person who starts the process of the breakup suffers fewer negative consequences than their partner.
- Dickson - the older the couple upon breakup the more serious and distressing the social group find it. Therefore they put more effort into trying to reconcile the pair.

Question 5

Duck’s phased model - Phase 4

Answer 5

Grave dressing:
- Threshold - ‘This is inevitable’
- Behaviours - Getting over it activities, Retrospective post mortem, Public distribution of own version

Evidence -
- Tashiro - a survey of students about previous relationships showed a number of personal growth factors which helped in future relationships. Things such as feeling stronger, emotionally better off and more independent were noted. Participants also mentioned feeling an increased sense of wisdom which helped in future relationships and that relationships with friends had strengthened.

Question 6

Evaluation - the modification’s to Duck’s model after criticisms

Answer 6

Phase 5 - Resurrection
- Threshold - ‘I am better off’
- Behaviours - Reconfiguration of oneself, Preparation for new relationships and emotional detachment from previous state

Question 7

Evaluation of Duck’s phased model of relationship breakdown

Answer 7

Strengths:
+ Face validity as it is relatable
+ Dissolution as a process is applicable to friendships as well
+ Social context and integrity is taken into account
+ Modification made after criticisms

Weaknesses:
- Does not explain why dissatisfaction occurs in the first place
- Not universal to all breakups
- Does not apply to homosexual relationships
- Simplistic