Lesson 9 - Duck's phase model of relationship breakdown

Question 1

when does relationship breakdown occur

Answer 1

• relationship breakdown occurs when one or both people in the relationship feel that it is not working, so wish to end the relationship

Question 2

phases in Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown

Answer 2

• intrapsychic processes
• dyadic processes
• social processes
• grave dressing processes

Question 3

intrapsychic processes - phases in Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown

Answer 3

• characterised by the dissatisfied person privately thinking about their relationships + brooding about problems
• focus on partner’s faults + “they’re under-benefitting”
• might feel very depressed + withdraw from social interactions
• don’t say anything to their partner at this stage

Question 4

dyadic processes - phases in Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown

Answer 4

• involves a private confrontation/ discussion whereby partners communicate w/ each other about their problems
• may think carefully about investments they have in their relationship e.g. house, children etc..
• could be reconciliation if the other partner accepts validity of dissatisfied partner’s views
  = promises to change behaviour or agree to sort out issues
• marital therapy might be useful at this point

Question 5

social processes - phases in Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown

Answer 5

• break up is made public to friends + family
• advice + support are give from people outside the relationship, alliances formed
• involves criticising former partner + scapegoating
• young couples experience breakdowns more frequently
  = testing the market to find ideal partner
• older couples experience breakdowns less frequently

Question 6

grave dressing processes - phases in Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown

Answer 6

• as relationship dies + breaks down
  = need to mourn + justify our actions
• ex partners begin their post relationship lives + begin to publicise accounts of how the relationship broke down
  = social credit remains high
• different versions of the relationship are given to different people
• partners may reinterpret their point of view of their ex partner

Question 7

ads of Duck’s model

Answer 7

• fifth stage
• social exchange theory

Question 8

disads of Duck’s model

Answer 8

• breaking up or broken up with
• gender differences
• ethical issues
• reductionist

Question 9

fifth stage - ads of Duck’s model

Answer 9

• improvements have been made to the model as time has passed (since 1982 when model was devised)
• psych found that the role that people had in deciding if the relationship should breakdown
  = most important prediction of the breakdown experience
• Duck teamed up with a psych + introduced a fifth phase = THE RESURRECTION STAGE
  = person engages in personal growth
  = gets prepared for new romantic relationships

Question 10

social exchange theory - ads of Duck’s model

Answer 10

• support for Duck’s model model comes from the social exchange theory by Kelley
• states that if a relationship has high costs + minimal rewards = relationship isn’t worth continuing = breakdown + end

Question 11

breaking up or broken up with - disads of Duck’s model

Answer 11

• psych criticised Duck’s model
• most important factor = found that the role that people had in deciding if the relationship should breakdown
• found that those who didn’t initiate the end of the relationship = most miserable, lonely + depressed + angry in the weeks after the relationship ended
• those who initiate the breakdown were the least stressed + least upset BUT did feel guilty

Question 12

gender differences - disads of Duck’s model

Answer 12

• Duck’s model ignores gender differences that exist when analysing the breakdown of relationships
• found research evidence to suggest that females emphasise unhappiness, lack of emotional support = reasons for breakdown
• males = lack of sex/ fun
• females often wish to stay friends w/ an ex-partner
• males would rather have a clean break + not stay friends

Question 13

ethical issues - disads of Duck’s model

Answer 13

• relationship breakdown is a socially sensitive topic
• e.g. psychological harm may be an issue when people are recalling why their relationship broke down = the impact of this
• invasion of privacy is also an issue that Duck would have to address when investigating relationship breakdown

Question 14

reductionist - disads of Duck’s model

Answer 14

• model could be viewed as reductionist + not very accurate
• reducing the complex phenomenon of relationship breakdown into 4 simple stages that must follow a specific order
• in the real world it would seem unlikely that relationship breakdown can be reduced to these 4 stage
• very unpredictable + doesn’t happen in this chronological order
  = e.g. some couples break up, make up, break up etc..

Question 15

research by Duck into relationship breakdown

Answer 15

Duck identifies several factors that can lead to an unhappy marriage + lead to divorce/ breakdown:

• partners that marry when they are very young
• partners that become parents (when they’re very young)
  = often have little time to adjust to their new responsibilities
  = can cause financial + housing problems
• couples that are from different socioeconomic backgrounds
• partners that have different social demographic backgrounds e.g. race, religion etc..
• people who have parents that are divorced
• people who have had many sexual partners before they were married