Duck's phase model

• What is Duck's phase model?

  • In 2007 Duck proposed a phase model of relationship breakdown, suggesting that the ending of a relationship isn't a one-off event but a process that takes time over a series of phrases
  • Each phrase is marked by a partner reaching a 'threshold' where their perception of the relationship changes
  • Reasons for relationship breakdown include pre-existing doom (incompatible from the start), mechanical failure (compatible from the start but no longer function together), or sudden death (traumatic event, cheating, etc.)
• What is the intra-psychic phase?


  • When partners begin to feel dissatisfied with their relationship, they enter a cognitive process worrying about the reasons for their dissatisfaction, centring on partner's shortcomings
  • These are thought about privately or shared with a trusted friend - may consider pros and cons of alternatives
  • "I can't stand this anymore"
• What is the dyadic phase?


  • Focus is on interpersonal processes between the 2 partners as they have a series of confrontations about their dissatisfaction, characterised by anger and hostility, complaints about inequity
  • Self-disclosure becomes deeper as repressed emotions from the previous phase are expressed, and partners can either wish to repair the damage or break off the relationship
  • "I'd be justified in leaving"
• What is the social phase?


  • Focus is on couple's social networks - the break-up is made public to friends and family and partners will seek support, friends and family may choose sides
  • Some people may reinforce the division, some may pitch in and try to help repair the relationship yet this is usually the point of no return
  • Social implications are negotiated like assets, childcare, responsibilities, etc.
  • "I really mean it"
• What is the grave dressing phase?


  • Focus is on the aftermath as ex-partners will now publicise their own accounts for public consumption, allowing them to save face and maintain a positive reputation
  • Gossip is crucial to retain some 'social credit' by blaming circumstances and partners will create their own personal positive narrative of the stories that they can live with and employ a self-serving attribution bias
  • "Time to get a new life"
• What is one strength of Duck's phase model?

  • Real-world application: model is useful as it recognises that different repair strategies are more effective at some points in the breakdown than others
  • Duck (1994) encouraged people in the intra-psychic phase to focus their worrying on their partner's positive aspects, and improving communication could be beneficial in the dyadic phase to foster greater stability
  • Insights can be useful in relationship counselling to help people through difficult times, showing real-world use
• What is one limitation of Duck's phase model?

  • Incomplete model: Rollie and Duck (2006) suggested the original model is oversimplified, adding the additional "resurrection phase" after grave dressing where ex-partners turn their attention to future relationships using the experiences from the relationship that just ended
  • Researchers also make it clear that progression from one phase to another is not inevitable and people can return to earlier stages, so the model should be in any order not linear
  • Shows model does not account for dynamic nature and complexity of breakups
• What is another limitation of Duck's phase model?

  • Cultural differences: Moghaddam (1993) found relationship breakups in individualist cultures are generally voluntary and come to ends more frequently
  • In collectivist cultures they tend to be obligatory, less easy to end, involve wider family, and can even be arranged with little involvement of the actual partners themselves
  • Weakens generalisability of Duck's model as it isn't widely applicable beyond Western and individualistic cultures
• What is another limitation of Duck's phase model?

  • Descriptive not explanatory: model only focuses on the breakdown of a relationship without how or why it got to that point that can be explained by other hypothesis
  • Felmlee's (1995) Fatal Attraction Hypothesis argued the cause of breakdown can be traits that led to initial attraction later being seen as undesirable e.g. being funny can be seen as never being serious later
  • Shows that the original model lacks depth in explaining the root dissatisfaction