ducks phase model of relationship breakdown

• This is a phase model- it explains stages a relationship goes through when it breaks down. Duck argued that a relationship breakdown is not a one off event, it happens over a period of time where one (or both partners) reachers a threshold (like a breaking point) before moving into the next phase. At the end, the relationship ends. 
• Intra-psychic phase:                                                                                                                                  Threshold; I can’t stand this anymore 

  Focus is on cognitive processes occurring within the individual. 

  The dissatisfied partner broods on their reasons for dissatisfaction, mainly focussing on their partners e.g partners shortcoming. 

  Mulls over their thoughts privately or with friends. Do not tell partner yet. 

  Considers pros and cons of the relationship and compare them to alternatives (or being alone)
• Dyadic phase:                                                                                                                    Threshold; I would be justified in withdrawing 

  Focus on interpersonal processes between 2 partners. 

  Lots of confrontations and discussions about the relationship over a period of time.

  Dissatisfied with the partner aired- why they’re unhappy.

  Emotions: anxiety, hostility, complaints about issues such as inequity, resentment.

  2 possible outcomes:

  1. Determination to continue breaking up

  2. Desire to repair it- if the rescue attempt fails, another threshold is reached. 
• Social phase:                                                                                     Threshold; the dissatisfied partner concludes ‘I mean it’

  Focus is on wider social processes.

  Break up made public 

  Partners seek support from mutual friends and encourage them to take sides

  Gossip is traded and encouraged! Different behaviours from friends:

  -reinforcement/ reassurance (too good for them)

  -judgement/blaming 

  -proving new information 

  -try to repair 

  Usually the ‘point of no return’ and the ending is the relationship is driven by social forces.
• Grave-dressing phase:                


  Threshold; now inevitable Focus on the aftermath.relationship is ‘dead’, partners aim to ‘spin’ favourable story to tell other people. aim try and ‘save face’ and maintain positive reputation. Gossip important in this stage. involves creating private story you can live with, may differer to public story. Tidying up memories, rewriting the relationship history someone who has ‘wild unpredictable’ is not ‘reckless and irresponsible’.simply agree they weren’t compatible. 
• Final conclusion: time to get a new life
• A strength of Ducks model is that there is research support. Tashiro and Fraiser conducted research showing that if people focus on the situation rather than their own personal faults as being the reason the relationship breaks down, then people find it easier to cope and move on through the stages. This highlights that this theory can be applied to everyday relationships. 
• A weakness is that there are methodological issues with the research. Most of the research is retrospective. This means that the pps studied tended to give their experiences of the breakdown sometime after it happened. This is a problem because recall may not be accurate or reliable. Early stages of the breakdown tend to be distorted or ignored altogether, so retrospective recall of this is problematic. This means that  research may lack reliability and validity because they may not replicate the answers they have given if asked again. 
• strength is practical applications of the model. It helps to identify and understand stages of a breakdown, but also means we can try to reverse the process, saving the relationship. E.g in the dyadic phase people could be encouraged to focus on positive aspects of the partner. Also they could focus on trying to improve communication and social skills in order to make the relationship more stable. This means that it could be used as part of relationship counselling, particularly early on in the breakdown of the relationship. 
• A weakness is that research is culturally biased. The research is largely based on USA culture which is individualistic. Relationships in these cultures tend to be temporary (E,g can end in divorce if needed) and voluntary. In contrast, relationships in collectivist cultures tend to be serious and permanent. This means that the theory is culturally biased and takes an ethnocentric view of relationships.