Dissolution of Relationships

1. Unrealistic expectations
2. Women working
3. Changing gender roles
4. Individualism
5. Cohabitation

1. Attraction
2. Alternatives
3. Barriers

1. Enduring vulnerabilities
2. Stressful events
3. Stress spillover

Annotations:

• Processes of Adaptation in Intimate Relationships

1. Enduring dynamics model

   Annotations:

   • Spouses bring to their marriage problems, incompatibilities, and enduring vulnerabilities
2. Emergent distress model

   Annotations:

   • Couples begin to fall into a rut of increasing conflict and negativity that wasn’t there when the marriage began
3. Disillusionment model

   Annotations:

   • Couples begin their marriage with romanticized and unrealistically positive views, and eventually stop working as hard to please each other and become overall less satisfied 

Annotations:

• The social context in which couples conduct their relationships can have substantial effects on the outcomes they encounter 

1. Cultural
2. Personal
3. Relational

1. Direct vs. indirect
2. Other vs. self oriented
3. Gradual vs. sudden onset
4. Individual vs. shared desire
5. Rapid vs. protracted nature of exit
6. Presence vs. absence of repair

1. 1. Personal phase

   Annotations:

   • A partner grows dissatisfied
2. 2. Dyadic phase

   Annotations:

   • The unhappy partner reveals his/her discontent 
3. 3. Social phase

   Annotations:

   • The partners publicize their distress and seek social support from friends and family 
4. 4. Grave dressing phase

   Annotations:

   • Mourning decreases, and the partners start to get over their loss 
5. 5. Resurrection phase

   Annotations:

   • The ex-partners re-enter social life as singles, learn from their experiences, etc.