theories of romantic relaitonshops: Ducks phase model

Question 1

ducks phase model of relationship breakdown

Answer 1

Duck

proposed a phase model of relationship breakdown

argued that the ending of a relationship is not a one off event but a process that takes time and goes through 4 distinct phases

each phase is marked by on partner reaching a threshold a point at which their perception of the relationship changes

the road to break up begins once a partner realises that they are dissatisfied with the relationship and distressed about the way things a relationship going

Question 2

intra-psychic phase

Answer 2

threshold - i cant stand this anymore
indicating a determination that someone has to change

focus of this phase is on cognitive processes occurring within the indivual

the dissatisfied partner worries about the reasons for their dissatisfaction

partner mulls their thoughts over privately and may share them with a trusted friend

weighing up the pros and cons of the relationship and evaluate these against the alternatives (even being alone)

begin to make plans for he future

Question 3

dyadic phase

Answer 3

threshold - i would be justified in withdrawing
they eventually come to the conclusion

focus is on interpersonal processes between two partners

comes a point when they cannot avoid talking about their relationship any longer

series of confrontation in which the relationship is discussed and dissatisfactions are raised

characterised by anxiety, hostility and complaints about the lack of equity

two possible outcomes -
determination to continue breaking up the relationship or a renewed desire to repair it

but if reduce attempst fail another threshold is reaches

self disclosures may become deeper and more frequent in this phase as partners express thoughts and feelings they had been withholding in the intra-psychic phase

Question 4

social phase

Answer 4

threshold - i mean it
the dissatisfied partner concludes

focus is now on wider processes involving the couples social networks

break-up is made public

partners will seek support and try to forge pacts

mutual friend find they are expected to choose a side

gossip is traded and encouraged

soem friends provide reinforcement and reassurance other willl place the blame on one partner or the other

Question 5

grave dressing phase

Answer 5

threshold - its now inevitable

focus of this phase is on the aftermath

once the realtionship is dead the time comes to bury it

spinning a favourable story about the breakdown for public consumption

allows the partners to save face and maintain a positive reputation usually at the expense of the other partner, showing them in a bad light

also involves creating a perosnal story you can live with which may differ format he public open

more to do with tidying up memeories of the relationship with a certain degree of rewriting history

traits tou found endearing and now more interpreted ina. negative fashion

time to get a new life -

Question 6

strenght

Answer 6

real world application

suggest ways in which relationship breakdown can be reversed

model is useful becuase it recognises that different repair strategies are more effective at soem points in the breakdown than others

DUck recommends that people in the intra-psychic phase could be encouraged to focus their worrying on the positive aspects of the partner

also a feature of dyadic phase is communication any attempt to improve this and wider social skills could be beneficial in fostering greater stability in the relationship

these insights can be sued in relationship counselling yo help people through difficult times

Question 7

limitation

Answer 7

an incomplete mdoel

original model describe is an incomplete explanation of the breakdown

Duck and Rollie added a fifth phase after grave dressing

resurrection phase

ex-partners apply to future relationship the experiences gained from their recently ended one

researchers argue that progression form one phase to the next is not inevitable becuase it is possible to return to an earlier point in any phase

processes that occur in relationshop breakdown ar empire importnat than linear movements from one phase to another

original model does not account for the complexity of breakdown and its dyanamic nature

Question 8

limitation

Answer 8

early phases are less understood

underexplains the early phases of breakdown

much of the research is retrospective

participants in research studies generally report their ecpiences some time after the relationship has ended

so what they recall might not always ve accurate or reliable

especially true of the early stages

by definition the early phases occur longer ago

partners can be in the intra-psychic phase for a long time so recall of it may be particularly distorted

means that the model may not explain the early part of the breakdown process as well as after phase