Duck's phase model

Question 1

What does Duck’s phase model aim to explain?

Answer 1

• The process of relationship dissolution as a series of distinct stages. Each stage is marked by one/both partners reaching a threshold, a point at which their perception of the relationship changes

Question 2

What are the phases?

Answer 2

1. Intra-psychic > individuals privately reflect on their dissatisfaction with the relationship, weighing the costs/benefits of staying/leaving
2. Dyadic > dissatisfaction is openly communicated to the partner, leading to discussions about the future
3. Social > the couple involves friends and family, making their distress public, which often leads to the relationship dissolution
4. Grave > both partner try to present a favorable narrative of the breakup, focusing on personal growth and future relationships.

Question 3

Ducks Phase Model: Incomplete explanation

Answer 3

• Duck and Rollie (2006) added a 5th resurrection phase to the model, where ex-partners apply lessons to future relationships.
• They argued that progression through the phase isn’t linear. The researchers also argue that progression from one phase to the next is not inevitable because it is possible to return to an earlier point in any phase.
• Finally, the processes that occur in relationship breakdown (e.g. the role of gossip in the social phase) are more important than linear movement from one phase to the next.
• Therefore the original model does not account for the complexity of breakdown and its dynamic nature.

Question 4

Ducks Phase Model: Early stages less understood

Answer 4

• The model (including the newer version) is that it underexplains the early phases of breakdown.
• This is because much of the research is retrospective. Participants in research studies generally report their experiences some time after the relationship has ended, so what they recall might not always be accurate or reliable. - This is 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.
• This means that the model may not explain the early part of the breakdown process as well as later phases.

Question 5

Duck’s Phase Model: Real world application

Answer 5

• It suggests ways in which relationship breakdown can be reversed
• The model is useful because it recognises that different repair strategies are more effective at some points in the breakdown than at others. For example, Duck (1994) recommends that people in the intra-psychic phase could be encouraged to focus their worrying on the positive aspects of their partner.
• Also, as a feature of the 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 used in relationships counselling to help people through difficult times

Question 6

Ducks Phase Mode: Cultural limitations

Answer 6

• The model is based on research into relationship breakdown in individualist cultures, especially the US.
• Fathali Moghaddam et al. (1993), relationships in individualist cultures are generally voluntary and frequently come to an end (for example, divorce).
• Relationships in collectivist cultures are less easy to end and involve the wider family. In fact the whole conception of a romantic relationship differs between cultures.
• This means the model’s application would not be useful in all cultures