Relationship Breakdown

Relationship Breakdown

1. Breakdown of Relationships 1

   • Model of the Dissolution of Relationships. Duck (1988)
     • 1) Intra-psychic phase: One of the partners or friends becomes increasingly dissatisfied with the relationship. If this continues it moves onto the next stage.
     • 2) Dyadic phase: The other person becomes involved. They discuss it. If its not resolved, it moves to next stage
     • 3) Social phase: Grievances are aired to their friends and family. The social implication of a potential breakup are negotiated. The relationship may be saved here, but if not they would move onto the next stage.
     • 4) Grave-dressing phase: the ex-partners begin the organisation of their post-relationship lives. They publicise their own accounts, and what their nature of their relationship with ex is. they may try and make themselves look good.

2. Breakdown of Relationships 2

   • Stages in the Breakdown of Relationships. Lee (1984)
     • 1) Dissatisfaction. Partner discover problems in the relationship
     • 2) Exposure. The problems are identified and brought into the open
     • 3) Negotiation. Some discussion about the issues raised during the exposure period
     • 4) Resolution attempts. Partner try to find ways of solving the problems
     • 5) Termination. If the resolution attempts are unsuccessful, then the relationship breaks down

3. Risk Factors. Duck (1982)

   • Predisposing Personal Factors
     • Personal habits, change in interests
     • Poor role models, poor social skills
   • Precipitating Factors
     • Deception, boredom, relocation, conflict

4. Evaluation

   • Lee mainly looks at events leading up to dissolution, and Duck looks at the processes afterwards.
   • Neither model explain why relationships breakdown
   • Felmlee' 'fatal attraction' theory suggests another reason for breakup- the same characteristics that initially attract us to a person ultimately leads to dissolution, may start with being exiting but end to be strange
   • Research found cultural differences between Western and non-Western cultures
     • Moghaddam (1993). North American relationships mainly individualistic, voluntary and temporary. Non-Western are collective, obligatory and permanent
   • Impact of relationship dissolution. Akert (1992)
     • Those who didn't initiate the relationship dissolution were the most miserable. Those who did initiate it didn't feel so bad, but they did feel guilty