A03 Duck's Phase Model

• An incomplete model

  Rollie and Duck describe the oringinal model as oversimplified. They added a fifth phase: the Resurrection phase. Ex-partners turn their attention to future relationships using the experienced gained from their recent ones.
• Advantages of new model (An incomplete model)


  Rollie and Duck also make it clear that progression from one phase to the next isn't inevitable as it is possible to return to an earlier point in the process in any phase. The new model emphasises the processes that occur in any relationship breakdown rather than the linear movement from one phase to the next. These changes overcome a weakness of the original mode, which does not account for the dynamic nature of break-ups with all their inherent uncertainty.
• Methodological issues


  Most of Duck's research is retrospective. Ppts give their experiences of the breakdown process some time after the relationship has ended which means recall may not be reliable. The early stages of breakdown that tend to be ignored and researchers are reluctant to study relationships at this point as their involvement could hasten the end of the relationship, that could've been rescued. Thus, Duck's research is based off an incomplete description of how relationships end.
• Useful real-life application


  Model not only helps us to identify and understand the stages of relationship breakdown but also suggets various ways of reversing it. It recognises that the different repair strategies are more effective at particular points in the breakdown than others.
• Duck's recommendation (Useful real-life application)

  Duck recommends people in the Intra-psychic phase could be encouraged to brood on the positives of their partner. Also a feature of the dyadic phase is communicaiton as this fosters great stability in the relationship. Such insights can be used in relationship counselling.
• Description rather than explanation


  Duck's model is less successful as an explanation of why relationship breakdown occurs. But Flemlee's fatal attraction hypothesis argue thas that the causes of RB can be found in the attractive qualities that brought the romantic parners together. The relationship is threatened by the partners getting too much of what they were looking for. This can be incorporated in Duck's model because the first stage is dissatisfaction.
• Cultural bias


  Model and research are based off individualist cultures, especially USA. Moghaddem et al states that relationships in individualist cultures are generally voluntary and frequently come to an end. Relationships in collectivist cultures are more likely to be obligatory, less easy to end. The whole concept of romantic relationships in different cultures differs which is why the process of relationship breakdown is unlikely to be true for all cultures.