Relationship - 3. Theories of Romantic Relationships: 4. Reasons for Relationship Breakdown (Duck 1992) Flashcards
What did Duck produce in 1992?
The phase model of relationship breakdowns
Phase model
The ending of a relationship isn’t a one-off event, but a process revolving around different specific phases
What marks each phase of the relationship breakdown?
Each phase can be marked by either one or both partners reaching what is referred to as a ‘threshold’, where their perception of the relationship changes
When does the breakup process commence?
When one partner realises that they are not satisfied currently in the relationship
Stage 1 of the phase model
Intra-psychic phase
What does intra mean?
Within
Intra-psychic phase
The person begins to feel dissatisfied but keeps it to themselves
Cognitive process
The individual will focus on the reasons for their dissatisfaction (mainly blaming their partner’s flaws)
They privately consult their thoughts and weigh up the pros and cons
Stage 2 of the phase model
Dyadic phase (sharing phase)
Dyadic phase
Interpersonal processing between two partners
Avoiding talking about the problem is no longer efficient
Dissatisfactions are brought out
What are the two potential outcomes of the dyadic phase?
Agreement to repair the relationship
A determination to breakup
Stage 3 of the phase model
Social phase
Social phase
Breakup becomes public and then individuals will seek support and gain allies, meaning mutual friends will have to pick sides
Some friends will provide reassurance while others will be extremely judgemental forcing the blame onto one of the parties
Some may reveal previous information that was kept secret
Stage 4 of the phase model
Grave-dressing phase
Grave-dressing phase
Main focus is the aftermath of the breakup
The ex partners spin a story about the breakup suitable to tell in public
Each partner will try to retain social credit as they don’t want their reputation to be changed
Attributional bias
Depends on who’s side you are hearing, usually involves gossiping or diminishing the other party
During what stage is attributional bias used/present?
Stage 4) Grave-dressing phase
What are the 4 stages of the phase model and briefly explain them?
- Intra-psychic phase: the person feels dissatisfied and begins to weigh up the pros and cons in their head
- Dyadic phase: dissatisfactions are brought out and it could lead to repair or breakup
- Social phase: breakup is made public and the individuals will seek support and gain allies
- Grave-dressing phase: each partner will share their story of the breakup in a way to retain social credit
What was later added to the phase model as it was criticised for being incomplete?
Stage 5 was later added by Rollie and Duck, called the resurrection phase
Resurrection stage of the phase model
Ex-partners will look forward to future relationships and look back on their past experiences. Experiences gained can be taken forward to potentially improve future ones
How could the phase model be culturally biased?
The model is based on relationships in individualistic cultures where breakups are easily obtainable and don’t come with stigma (a divorce in a collectivist culture will bring stigma to the family)
Ending relationships in individualistic cultures is a voluntary choice, meaning the model is ethnocentric and lacks cultural validity
Further weakness of the phase model other than cultural bias
Doesn’t explain the reasons why relationships breakdown