Duck Phases Flashcards
(10 cards)
What are the three reasons for relationship breakdown according to Duck?
Pre-existing doom (incompatibility from the start), Mechanical failure (couple no longer functions), Sudden death (traumatic event like cheating).
What is the main idea of Duck’s phase model of relationship breakdown?
Relationships end through a process involving distinct stages that partners pass through during the breakdown.
What happens during the Intra-psychic phase of Duck’s model?
One or both partners reflect on relationship problems, plan confrontation, consider alternatives, and may confide in friends.
What characterises the Dyadic phase in Duck’s model?
Partners confront each other to discuss issues like inequity, intimacy, and costs of breaking up.
What occurs in the Social phase of Duck’s model?
Couples inform their social network about the breakup, negotiate practical matters, and receive social support as networks may pick sides.
What is the Grave-dressing phase in Duck’s model?
Partners create a breakup narrative to save face, blame partner or circumstances, and reflect on the impact on their social network.
What did Tashiro and Frazer (2003) find in their study on relationship breakdown, and why is this a strength?
They found that relationships broke down in stages as predicted by Duck’s model, especially highlighting the grave-dressing phase. This supports the model’s validity by providing empirical evidence that relationship breakdown is a staged process.
What is a limitation of Tashiro and Frazer’s (2003) study related to population validity, and why is this important?
The study has low population validity because it used young, educated university graduates. This limits how much we can generalise the findings to the wider population, who may experience breakups differently due to age, culture, or life experience.
How did Duck update his phase model in 2006, and why is this considered a strength?
Duck added a Resurrection stage, reflecting how individuals rebuild their lives after a breakup. This improvement increases the model’s realism and applicability by recognising personal growth beyond the initial stages of breakdown.
What bias is present in Duck’s phase model regarding gender differences, and why is this a problem?
The model shows beta bias by assuming men and women experience relationship breakdown similarly, ignoring evidence that men and women have different reasons for breakdown (e.g., men cite lack of sex, women lack emotional support). This weakens the model’s accuracy and limits its usefulness in explaining gender-specific experiences.
