Break down (dissolution) of Relationships

Think about this… “If you expect to get what you want 100% of a time in a relationship, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.”

Success Criteria How will I know if I am learning? By the end of the lesson… E Will be able to use evidence to analyse Duck’s theories. C Will be able to evaluate Duck’s reason for breakdown. A Will be able to evaluate Duck & Rollie’s breakdown model using synoptic A02.

Task: You have 5 minutes to write a short story based on Rollie & Duck’s model of dissolution. It can be based on personal experience or a fictional story. However I want to see clear evidence of all stages of the model!

Reasons for relationship breakdown Duck (1992) Hint… Long Distance Relationships? Extramarital affairs? What are women more likely to find dissatisfying in a relationship in comparison to men? Marriages in which partners were very young Early parenthood Being in a lower socioeconomic group Poor education Partners are of different race / religion A greater number of sexual partners before marriage. Jealousy People have a change of attitudes / beliefs Relationship becomes routine and boring – lack of stimulation Lack of sexual satisfaction Lack of social skills – poor at conversation, may seem uninterested. Extra marital affairs – may be a direct reaction to the other reasons discussed. Have another look at Duck’s reasons for breakdown. How might we evaluate these?

Reasons for relationship breakdown Duck (1992) – A02  Relationships do break down due to affairs. Boekhout et al. (1999) – affairs happen as a reaction to lack of skills or stimulation in a current relationship.  LDR are more common today and can work. Rohlfing (1995) – 70% of students had experienced one. Holt & Stone (1988) – there was less relationship dissatisfaction as long as couples could reunite regularly.  Gender differences: Women = likely to stress unhappiness and incompatibility as reasons, however for men it is sexual withholding (Brehm & Kassin, 1966). Which of these is a synoptic IDA point?

DIRT Take two minutes to think about these.. 1) What have we learned about the breakdown of relationships so far? 2) What do we need to do next to advance our learning? 3) Why are we learning about this?

Research Support: Rollie & Duck’s Model Tashiro and Frazier (2003) surveyed undergraduates who had recently broken up with a romantic partner. They typically reported that they had not only experienced emotional distress, but also personal growth. These students reported that breaking up with their partner had given them new insights into themselves and a clearer idea about future partners. Through grave-dressing and resurrection processes they were able to put the original relationship to rest and get on with their lives. Rephrase not as an outline of the study but as a PEEL AO2 point. Point. Evidence. Explain. Link.

Activity 3 Use your synoptic toolkit to help you! IDA Write an extended piece of critical commentary either positive or negative of Rollie & Duck’s model. Try to think of 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses of the model and write in a paragraph. Use your synoptic toolkit to help you! IDA

Rollie and Duck’s Model of breakdown: Strengths The theory has face validity as it is an account of relationship breakdown that we can relate to our own and/or others’ experiences. The view of dissolution as a process, rather than an event, is widely accepted. However, the theory applies mainly to romantic relationships, because these are exclusive in a way that friendships generally are not. Stresses the importance of communication in relationship breakdown. Paying attention to the things that people say.

Rollie and Duck’s Model of breakdown: Criticisms As with all stage theories, Rollie and Duck’s six phases do not apply in every case of relationship breakdown; nor do they always occur in the order described. The model does not take into account why dissatisfaction occurred in the first place; its starting point is where dissatisfaction has already set in. Therefore, it fails to provide a complete picture of dissolution.

What could be the main piece of AO3 of research into the breakdown of relationships? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Activity 4 - Snap! You need one positive and one negative point here. Take a walk around and have a read of everyone's. Take a picture of the two you would want in your essay grid!