Relationships - Duck's Phase Model of Relationship Breakdown

Question 1

What did Duck Suggest?

Answer 1

Three reasons for breakdown.
Pre-existing doom: individuals aren’t compatible from the start.
Mechanical Failure: compatible people are no longer able to function as a couple.
Sudden death: traumatic event e.g. cheating.

Question 2

What did Duck’s Phase Model for Relationship Breakdown Suggest?

Answer 2

Most relationships end via a process/ passing through stages.

Question 3

What’s the Intra-Psychic Phase?

Answer 3

One/ both partners consider feelings about relationship problems, plans confrontation, and considers alternative to the relationship. May confide in friends.

Question 4

What’s the Dyadic Phase?

Answer 4

Partners confront each other to discuss relationship issues and have conversations relating to inequity, intimacy and the costs of breakup.

Question 5

What’s the Social Phase?

Answer 5

Splitting couples tell their social network breaking up and take part in social activities to get over the relationship.
Practical aspects of the breakup are negotiated.
Social network members pick sides and provide support.

Question 6

What’s the Grave-Dressing Phase?

Answer 6

Partners create narrative of break-up so they can save face.
They blame partner/ circumstances out of their control.
May question their decision and consider how break-up’s impacted social network.

Question 7

AO3: Prac Apps.

Answer 7

P: Has prac apps.
E: Used to create prevention model for relationship counselling to repair relationship. Based on phases of breakup it’s possible for intervention at first two phases before actual breakup.
E: e.g. counsellor could encourage open and calm discussion in dyadic phase and focus on positive aspects of partner in intra-psychic phase.
L: Important part of applied psychology, prevent relationship breakups in real world.

Question 8

AO3: Criticism, Too Rigid

Answer 8

P: Phases criticised for being too rigid.
E: Not every person goes through each phase in order to set out by the model, it’s possible many can skip phases.
E: e.g. person may be happy in relationship then breaks down due to infidelity, in this case, an individual would skip first two phases, not following phases in linear order.
L: May not be most effective explanation for explaining breakdown in relationships.

Question 9

AO3: Lacks Cultural Relativism

Answer 9

P: Criticised for lacking cultural relativism.
E: Most of research’s carried out in Western cultures (individualistic).
E: Differs to non-Western cultures, were individual may put families wishes before their own e.g. arranged marriage.
L: Lowers external validity.