Duck's phase model of romantic breakdown

Question 1

1. Intra-psychic phase

Answer 1

The person starts having doubts about the relationship but doesn’t tell the other person. These doubts relate to looking at the relative costs and rewards and how it compares with other alternatives.

Question 2

2. Dyadic phase

Answer 2

The person tells the other person and they share their misgivings about the relationship and make attempts to work through their issues.

Question 3

3. Social phase

Answer 3

This is where the breakup is made public and the person tells their friends they are having problems with their relationship and could split up. Friends usually take sides and give out advice to either help to repair or hasten its end. (usually the point of no return)

Question 4

4. Grave-dressing phase

Answer 4

The relationship is over and the person tires to communicate a socially acceptable account of the break up i.e see the end of the relationship in a positive light.

Question 5

Evaluation strength: good practical applications

Answer 5

It can be applied to relationship counselling as it allows couples to identify the stage they are at in the breakdown process and develop strategies to help save the relationship.

Question 6

Evaluation weakness: oversimplified

Answer 6

it reduces breakdown by just 4 processes when there may actually be more. Duck partially addressed this by including a 5th stage (the resurrection stage) which relates to the period after the break-up.

Question 7

Evaluation weakness: does not explain why relationships break down

Answer 7

for example, the fatal attraction hypothesis argues that attractive properties at the start of a relationship can lead to it ending. (e.g good humour ends up being childish)

Question 8

Evaluation weakness: cultural differences

Answer 8

some people in arranged marriages are going to have different experiences of breakdown as the break-up concerns the dissolving of a union of two families.

Question 9

Evaluation weakness: gender differences (Akert 1992)

Answer 9

Found female college students were more likely to want to remain friends and also ranked a lack of compatibility as a cause of unhappiness whilst men were more concerned with sexual incompatibility.