PAPER 3 - RELATIONSHIPS - theories of relationship breakdown

Question 1

what are the 4 phases of Duck’s Phase Model of Relationship Breakdown?

Answer 1

1. intrapsychic phase
2. dyadic phase
3. social phase
4. grave-dressing phase

Question 2

what is involved in the intrapsychic phase?

Answer 2

• one persons privately dissatisfied with relationships and individual privately focuses on their partners behaviour
• they assess negative aspects of being in the relationship and consider costs of withdrawal and assess positive aspects of possible alternative relationships

Question 3

what is involved in the dyadic phase?

Answer 3

• confronts partner, discusses feeling, discontentment & future relationship
• attempt to repair relationship
• assess joint costs of withdrawal

Question 4

what is involved in the social phase?

Answer 4

• seek support from other people
• look for receptive and sympathetic audience
• intention to break up is made public with social network
• each partner justifies break up - sometimes blaming other person

Question 5

what is the grave dressing phase?

Answer 5

• recognise relationship is really over
• engage in retrospection
• create narrative of relationship
• public distribution of an acceptable, self-preserving narrative of break-up story to represent themselves as good fro future relationships

Question 6

how is ‘breakdown is not inevitable’ a strength of Ducks model?

Answer 6

• it describes the phases a relationship can go through when one or both partners become dissatisfied
• more applicable
• more positive theory (grave dressing stage allows individual reflect)

Question 7

how is ‘real world application’ a strength of Ducks model?

Answer 7

• allows implications for intervention
• insights in relationships could be used in relationship counselling

Question 8

how is ‘not applicable to all relationships’ a limitation of Duck’s model?

Answer 8

• relationships may not go through all these stages/these stages in this order e.g. ‘sudden death’ of a relationship due to infidelity, or e.g. dyadic phase may not be safe e.g. abusive relationships

Question 9

how is ‘failure to consider personal growth’ a criticism of Duck’s model?

Answer 9

• model can be considered incomplete as it failed to consider personal growth
• Tashiro and Frazier surveyed undergraduates that had recently broken up with their partners and typically found them experiencing emotional distress as well as personal growth
• however model does show positive outcomes that can come from break ups

Question 10

how does Duck fail to consider complexity of relationships?

Answer 10

• age and stage of relationship can affect break up - marriage would try to stay together compared to a couple thats just dating
• culture - divorce may be frowned upon, views of relationships differ across cultures, assumes temporary nature of relationships, so theory suffers from culture bias
• sexuality - homo and heterosexual couples may vary in experience of social phase (may be lack of acceptance for homosexual couples within families) so theory suffers from heterosexual bias