Relationship Breakdown Content

Question 1

What are the four phases of Duck’s model of relationship breakdown?

Answer 1

. Intra psychic
. Dyadic
. Social
. Grave-dressing

Question 2

What are thresholds in Duck’s model?

Answer 2

An intense point in each phase that needs to be reached before moving onto the next phase ( a finalising judgement to get to the next stage of relationship breakdown)

Question 3

What is the intra psychic phase of relationship breakdown?

Answer 3

. When a relationship is breaking down in one person’s mind
- they are thinking to themselves, ‘I am not happy’
. Begin to pick about reasons as to why they aren’t happy
. Think about things we don’t like in our partner
- generally our cognitive beliefs about our partner are negatively-focused
. May re-evaluate alternative options

Threshold: realising something isn’t right and needs to change/be resolved

Question 4

What is the dyadic phase of relationship breakdown?

Answer 4

. Confronting partner on the dissatisfaction they are experiencing
. Feelings of guilt and anger are likely to surface, can result in confrontation
. Other partner may reveal they have been experiencing equal dissatisfaction
. Other’s may get involved on the problem and think of possible conclusions/solutions (not usually a good idea)

Threshold: it would make sense to break up, coming to conclusion with the problem

Question 5

At which stage of relationship breakdown are a couple likely to recover and why?

Answer 5

. In the dyadic phase as there is an opportunity to meet each other needs if you are motivated enough to do so.
. Commitment has been built up in long-term relationships, not always easy to throw away a relationship because of feelings of satisfaction
. Some relationships need to stay together due to the investments they’ve made binding them together (e.g children) that would make the costs of a breakup detrimental
- this is why many struggling relationships go through marriage counselling

Question 6

What is the social phase of relationship breakdown?

Answer 6

. The dissatisfaction between partner’s is made public
- now hard to deny there are real problems in the relationship
. People will start to take sides to get support (allies) in dealing with the breakdown, which makes it harder for either partner to reconcile as their social networks will be adding in input that emphasise to any of the decisions you make
. Some friends will be supportive, some will be judgemental
. Concealed information from relationship will come out

Overall, it becomes extremely overwhelming for both people when a breakdown becomes public, leading to the increase likelihood of no turnig back

Threshold: absolute certainty that you want to break up even after public opinion has had its say

Question 7

What is the grave-dressing phase of relationship breakdown?

Answer 7

. ‘Dressing up’ the death of the relationship as you want to appear to be the innocent person in the relationship
. Might twist things about your ex to put them in a negative light
. Can become difficult to form new relationships as your ‘antics’ in a relationship may have been spread, even if they aren’t true.
. Reinterpreting perception of the partner - changing their view on their ‘rebellious’ nature to one of ‘irresponsibility’ (making sure you feel like the better person)

Threshold: accepting that it’s time to move on