Breakdown

Breakdown

1. 2 theories

   • 3 Reasons for Breakdown:
     • (Duck) proposed 3 reasons as to why relationships break down:
       • 1. Lack of Social Skills 2. Lack of Stimulation 3. Maintenance difficulties
         • One of these reasons is lack of social skills.
           • Another cause of relationship breakdown is a lack of stimulation. A lack of stimulations may be boredom or a belief that the relationship is not going anywhere
             • In some circumstances, relationships might fall apart due to maintenance difficulties, such as partners not spending enough time together (going away to university)
     • A02
       • (Boekhout et al) showed how affairs might be a direct reaction to the perceived lack of skills or stimulation in the relationship.
         • They asked students to rate various reasons as to why they might be unfaithful in a relationship.
           • Participants judged that lack of attention & boredom is the most likely reasons for partners to be unfaithful in a relationship.
             • Thus showing how affairs may be the result of perceived lack of skills or stimulation, leading to the breakdown of relationships & thus supports Duck's theory.
   • 4-Stage Model of Breakdown
     • (Duck & Rollie) conducted a 4-Stage Model of Breakdown.
       • !. Intrapsychic Phase 2. Dyadic Phase 3. Social Phase 4. Grave-dressing Phase.
         • The model being with the "Intrapsychic Phase", this occurs when one or both partners become dissatisfied with the relationship.
           • This leads to the second phase, the "Dyadic Phase". During this phase, partners discuss the problems within their relationship. If the problems are not resolved, then they move into the next phase.
             • The next phase is the "Social Phase", this is when the breakup is made public to family & friends.
               • The final phase is the "Grave-dressing Phase", this is when both partners tell their side of their story to other people, in order to re-build their self-esteem for future relationships.
     • A02
       • (Tashiro et al) supports the model by observing real-life breakups.
         • They surveyed students who had recently broken up with a romantic partner.
           • They reported that they had not only felt distress, but also personal growth & what they want for future relationships.
             • Through 'Grave-dressing', they were able to move on with their lives, thus showing that (Duck & Rollie's) Model has some credibility.
       • A Criticism of the model of breakdown is that the phases are not always common to all couples & not all couples go through them in the same order.
         • For example, it is common for couples to go straight from the intrapsychic phase to the grave-dressing phase by simply walking away from the relationship.
           • This can explain why some breakups come as a complete shock to the person who has been dumped.
             • Furthermore, the model does not indicate as to why disatisfaction has arisen in the first place.
               • The model's starting point (Intrapsychic phase), occurs when dissatisfaction has already set in.
                 • As a result, the model fails to provide a complete account for relationship breakdowns.
       • IDA:
         • Real-World Application
           • The model provides Real-world Application for 'Counselling', in attempt to improve relationship skills in couples.
             • Assessing which phase a couple is in can help to identify what steps should be taken to save the relationship.
               • A study by (Cina et al) supports how counselling can be beneficial in relationships.
                 • They compared 50 couples who received 'CCET training' with a control group who didn't.
                   • They found that those couples who received 'CCET training' had much higher 'marital quality' after training compared to the control group who did not.
                     • Thus demonstrates the importance of social skills in relationships.
         • Gender Differences
           • Gender differences are also apparent in both theories of breakdown.
             • For example, (Kassin) found that women stress "unhappiness & incompatibility" as reasons for dissolution, whereas men blame "lack of sex".
               • Women have more desire to stay friends after a relationship breakup, whereas men want a clean breakup.
                 • Thus suggests that there are gender different reasons as to why breakups occur.
                   • However, the theories do not account for these differences, thus suggesting that the theories are 'reductionist' with more complex phases factoring it.
         • Ethical Issues
           • Carrying out research in this area raises issues of 'Vulnerability'.
             • For example, participants may experience distress when revisiting the issues that led to breakdown.

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