Outline and evaluate two explanations relating to the breakdown of relationships

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Outline and evaluate two explanations relating to the breakdown of relationships

Duck proposed that there were four phases in the dissolution of a relationship. The intra psychic phase involves a partner growing increasingly dissatisfied with the relationship, which either may not be openly expressed, or there may be a determination to resolve the issue. The dyadic phase is where the dissatisfaction is expressed in the open, characterised by argument. Maintenance and repair strategies may be used to repair the relationship, which can still be saved. The social phase comprises the involvement of the individuals' social networks, in which the break-up becomes public. These people may help mend disputes between the partners but may also speed dissolution by taking sides. Social implications, such as who has the house, are discussed. The grave dressing phase begins with the ex-partners starting their post relationship lives. Individual accounts of the breakdown are favourably publicised to avoid the hindrance of future successful relationships, whilst simultaneously justifying their original commitment to the relationship.

To its advantage, the model highlights that dissolution is not just a sudden step, but a process, which is now a widely accepted underlying insight. The crucial factor