Relationships - Duck's Phase Model Flashcards
What is Duck’s Phase Model of Relationship Breakdown?
Duck (2007) proposed a phase model of relationship breakdown. He argued that the ending of a relationship is not a sudden event, but a process that takes time and goes through four distinct phases. Each phase is marked by one partner (or both) reaching a ‘threshold’, a point at which their perception of the relationship changes. Each phase is characterised by a different focus: intra-psychic, dyadic, social, and grave-dressing.
What happens during the intra-psychic phase?
The intra-psychic phase is when a person admits to themselves that they are dissatisfied with the relationship. They brood on their partner’s faults and on the relational costs, and they compare these with the rewards and possible alternatives. They weigh up the pros and cons and begin to make plans for the future. The threshold here is ‘I can’t stand this any more’.
What happens during the dyadic phase?
The dyadic phase is when a person confronts their partner and voices their dissatisfaction. This phase involves interpersonal processes such as discussions and arguments. There is a series of confrontations, where feelings of anger and guilt are expressed. Partners may either begin to repair the relationship or move towards the next threshold, which is ‘I would be justified in withdrawing’.
What happens during the social phase?
The social phase is when a breakup is made public. Partners tell their friends and family, seeking support and forming pacts. Gossip becomes widespread, and each partner tries to garner support and approval from others. At this stage, once the breakup has gained momentum, it often becomes difficult to backtrack. The threshold here is ‘I mean it’.
What happens during the grave-dressing phase?
The grave-dressing phase is when the relationship is officially ended and each partner creates a narrative to justify their actions. This phase involves creating a favourable story for public consumption, often portraying the other partner negatively to save face. Partners also reflect on their own future and may revise their memories of the relationship. The threshold here is ‘It’s now inevitable’.
What is the key term for the phase model of relationship breakdown?
Phase model of relationship breakdown: An explanation of the stages people go through when their relationship is not working. Once one partner is dissatisfied, there are four phases in the process, each with a different focus: intra-psychic, dyadic, social, and grave-dressing.
What is one evaluation point for Duck’s Phase Model?
An incomplete model: According to Stephanie Rollie and Steve Duck (2006), the original model described in this explanation is oversimplified. They modified it to add a fifth phase after grave-dressing, the resurrection phase. Ex-partners turn their attention to future relationships using the experiences gained from their recently ended one. This highlights a weakness of the original model, that it is a limited explanation because it does not account for the dynamic nature of break-ups with all their inherent uncertainty and complexity.
What is another evaluation point for Duck’s Phase Model?
Methodological issues: Most of the research relating to Duck’s model is retrospective. Participants generally give their experiences of the breakdown process some time after the relationship has ended. This means that what they recall might not always be accurate or reliable. It is very difficult to study this process in real-time. Researchers are reluctant to study relationships at an early point because their involvement might make things worse, and even hasten the end of a relationship that might otherwise have been rescued. This means that part of Duck’s model is based on research that ignores the early part of the process so it is an incomplete description of how relationships end.
What is a real-life application of Duck’s Model?
Useful real-life applications: A strength of the model is not just that it helps us to identify and understand the stages of relationship breakdown but also suggests various ways of reversing it. The model is especially useful because it recognises that different repair strategies are more effective at particular points in the breakdown than at others. For example, Duck (1994) recommends that people in the intra-psychic phase could be encouraged to focus their brooding on the positive aspects of their partner. Also, as a feature of the dyadic phase is communication, any attempt to improve this and perhaps improve wider social skills could be beneficial in fostering greater stability in the relationship. Neither of these strategies is likely to be of much use in the later phases of the breakdown.
What is a limitation regarding the explanation of breakdown?
Description rather than explanation: Duck’s model is less successful as an explanation of why breakdown occurs. In contrast, Flemlee’s (1995) fatal attraction hypothesis suggests that the causes of relationship breakdown can be found in the attractive qualities that brought the romantic partners together. Effectively the relationship is threatened by the partners’ getting too much of what they were looking for. For example, one person’s fantastic sense of humour may become too much to bear if they turn everything into a joke. This highlights the fact that Duck’s model cannot explain why a relationship breaks down when it does but simply the stages that partners go through after the relationship has already begun to break down.
