Breakdown of Relationships

Question 1

How does Duck’s theory into why relationships break down explain why relationships break down?(3)

Answer 1

1. Lack of interpersonal skills- communication
2. Lack of stimulation- mental or physical
3. Maintenance difficulties- jobs, uni, not seeing each other enough etc.

Question 2

What did Boekhaut do in the lack of stimulation study that supports Duck’s theory into why relationships break down, and what did it find?(1+2)

Answer 2

1. Asked undergraduate students to rate both sexual and emotional reasons for why men and women are unfaithful in relationships
2. Found that a lack of stimulation was the highest rated reason
3. Also found that the students believed men were more likely to cheat due to sexual reasons whereas women would be more likely to cheat for emotional reasons

Question 3

Evaluation for Boekhout’s Lack of Stimulation Study that supports Duck’s theory into why relationships breakdown(5)

Answer 3

1. Alpha bias
2. Students- not a true representation of whole population
3. Subject to social desirability bias
4. These are just they believe and not based a real life reasons
5. Cannot explain why some people still stay in a relationship Sven if their partner is unfaithful

Question 4

What did Kassin find that supports Duck’s theory into why relationships breakdown and what does it show?(1+1)

Answer 4

1. Kassin et al also found that women were more likely to state that they were more likely to cheat due to emotional reasons and when we’re more likely to state for sexual reasons
2. This shows that it is very important for studies to take gender differences into consideration

Question 5

Evaluation of Kassin et al’s study(2)

Answer 5

1. Alpha bias

2. Social desirability bias and lies

Question 6

How does Rollie and Duck’s Breakdown Model explain how relationships breakdown?(6)

Answer 6

1. Breakdown- “I can’t do this anymore”
2. Intrapsychic processes- looks at costs in relationships
3. Dyadic processes- talk about relationship with partner- “we need to talk”
4. Social processes- look for social support off peers
5. Grave dressing processes- tidy up memories + prepare stories for different audiences
6. Resurrection processes- prepare for new relationship

Question 7

Two theories that explain breakdown of relationships(2)

Answer 7

1. Duck- why they break down

2. Rollie and Duck- a model of breakdown

Question 8

What study supports Rollie and Duck’s A Breakdown Model?(1)

Answer 8

Frazier- undergraduates study

Question 9

What did Frazier do and find that supports Rollie and Duck’s A Model of Breakdown?(1+2)

Answer 9

1. Frazier surveyed undergraduates who had broken up with a partner
2. Found that they went through a period of time where they would reflect, which supports that people go through the grace dressing process
3. They also found they experienced distress and personal growth which supports the resurrection process

Question 10

Evaluation of Frazier’s undergraduate study(3)

Answer 10

1. Students
2. Survey
3. Unethical

Question 11

Overall evaluation of Rollie and Duck’s A Model of Breakdown (1+5)

Answer 11

Pro:
1. Clearly indicates each stage of how a relationship breakdown and shows that relationships can be fixed

Cons:

1. Heterosexually bias
2. Culturally bias
3. Beta bias
4. Only shows HOW not WHY
5. Can’t explain why some people are happy to break up and therefore do not go through some of the stages- unreliable