Relationships (Dissolution) Flashcards
Lee’s Model
Lee (1984) claims the end of relationships should be regarded as a process taking place over a period of time rather than a single event. More specifically, he argued that there are five stages involved in the process:
Dissatisfaction: one or both of the partners realise that there are problems within the relationship.
Exposure: the problems identified in the dissatisfaction stage are brought out into the open.
Negotiation: there is much discussion about the issues raised during the exposure stage.
Resolution: both partners try to find ways of solving the problems used in the negotiation stage.
Termination: if the resolution attempts are unsuccessful, then the relationship comes to an end.
Duck’s Model
Duck (1988) put forward a four phase model of the break-up of close or intimate relationships:
Intrapsychic: individuals considering the aspects of one’s partner with which they are dissatisfied.
Dyadic phase: the individual expresses their thoughts to their partner and they try to sort out the various problems.
Social phase: Sometimes the intervention of a third party, such as a relative, is helpful in the prevention of ultimate dissolution.
Grave-dressing phase: the individuals will now focus on telling others about why their relationship ended. This phase also serves to prepare the people involved for future relationships. Self-serving attributional bias minimises the negative impact the dissolution may have on our self-esteem and self-image.
Both Models
Both models can have a useful, practical impact on relationships. In marriage counselling, they can highlight ways in which people can repair the relationship.
Can these models be applied to relationships in non-western cultures only?
Good at explaining HOW relationships break down, but they don’t really comment on WHY they break down.
Precipitating Factors.
“risk factors”
psychologists frequently talk about ‘risk factors’. Predisposing factors tend to be to do with the personality of the people involved, such as emotional instability, annoying personal habits or poor social skills. They make the relationship more likely to fail.
Lack of skills
Lack of interpersonal skills to make the relationship mutally satisfying. Poor social skill, make them look like they are not interested in the relationship.
Lack of stimulation
People look for rewards in relationships one is “stimulation” without this its likely to fail. Evidence has showed boredom leads to ending relationships.
Maintenance Difficulties
There are clearly some circumstances where they don’t have close contact such as going to uni, it is evident that relationships are not strong enough for decreased contact.
Internet
Some risk factors may be losing their ‘riskiness’. Long-distances between couples used to put a relationship at risk of dissolution, however long-distance romantic relationships are becoming more frequent, possibly because of improved technology like email, skype etc and cheaper travel. It is seen that out of student 90% had a long-distance relationship.
Hill et all
Hill et al studied 231 steadily dating couples over a two-year period. At the 2 year point:
103 (45%) had broken up, and when interviewed often mentioned differences in interests, background, sexual attitudes and ideas about marriage.
128 (55%) were still together and they tended to be more alike in terms of age, intelligence, educational and career plans, as well as physical attractiveness.
Criticisms of Hill et all
Hill’s sample was University students; this is an obvious limitation as many people at this point in their lives are not planning on ‘settling-down’.
Hill’s research offers indirect support for various theories of relationships matching Hypothisis.
Longitudinal?
Homosexual?
