Explain and evaluate two models of the breakdown of relationships

 Try and create your own stage model of relationship breakdown using this short clip in pairs  You will have some time afterwards to do this!  3.RESDissolution of relationships.wmv 3.RESDissolution of relationships.wmv

 Describe models of the breakdown of relationships  Identify research to support these models Learning Outcomes

 Pre-existing doom  Mechanical failure  Sudden death Lack of skills Lack of stimulation Maintenance Difficulties

A man and woman decide to break up because they both work so hard they rarely see each other. A man and woman decide to break up because they’re trying to sustain a long distance relationship. A policeman is going out with a nurse and because of their shift patterns they rarely get to see each other and are often apart for long periods – they decide to break up. A woman breaks up with a man because she doesn’t believe the relationship is going anywhere. A man breaks up with a woman because he’s started to find her boring. A man breaks up with a woman he’s only been seeing for a short while because she doesn’t seem to be very interested in him – whenever they’re out on dates she doesn’t seem to make any conversation. A wife discovers her husband’s affair and breaks up with him. A couple finds that, although they get on, they can’t live together. A man’s girlfriend decides to break up with him because he’s so hopeless at cooking and other basic tasks. An evolutionary biologist breaks up with her creationist boyfriend An 80 year old grandmother breaks up with her 24 year old boyfriend.

 In your groups of three  One read lack of skills  One read Lack of stimulation  One read Maintenance difficulties  Once you have read and understood your section write down three bullet points: 1. The main idea behind the sub-theory 2. An example to support the sub-theory 3. A piece of research evidence to support it Find one evaluation point and explain what it is and how it supports/criticises the theory

 In the real-world, Couples training which helps to develop communication and problems solving skills was found to help improve quality of relationships in married couples (Cina et al. 2003) this suggests that…  There are gender differences in the problems that lead to breakdown (Brehm and Kassin, 1996)  There are ethical issues in investigating breakdown of relationships. Give an example of why it might be seen as a sensitive area.

 Rohlfing 1995 –  70% students had experienced 1 LD romantic relationship and 90% a LD friendship.  People use management strategies to deal with the distance.  Meeting up on a regular basis is one strategy that has been found to help Holt and stone (1988).

 Boekhout et al (1999)

 Intra-psychic  Dyadic  Social processes  Grave dressing processes  Resurrection process

 Draw the model in your book using examples

 Find a piece of research to back up the model of relationship breakdown  MUST –include details of what they found  SHOULD – include details of the method  COULD – include evaluation points of the piece of research

 Rollie and Duck’s model explores the possibility for psychological growth after relationship breakdown, whereas most models focus on the distress caused following a breakup.  Whilst psychological models of relationship breakdown describe the processes of relationship breakdown, they do not explain why we end relationships.  Psychological models of relationship breakdown do not explain individual differences in the speed of/reasons for relationship breakdown.

 Cultural and Heterosexual Bias: Psychological models of relationship breakdown focus on the experiences of white, middle class heterosexual participants. The processes of relationship breakdown experienced in other relationships are unlikely to be the same.  Moghaddam et al (1993) found that relationships in individualistic cultures were voluntary and easy to end, whereas relationships in collectivistic cultures were obligatory and permanent.  There is research to suggest that females experience greater psychological growth following a breakup than males. One of the reasons that has been suggested for this is that females have a greater social support network.

 The findings of Akert (1988) disagree with Rollie and Duck’s model. The study found that partners who did not initiate the breakup process suffered from loneliness, unhappiness and depression, whereas the dissatisfied partner only suffered from slight guilt as a result of ending the relationship

 Dissatisfaction  Exposure  Negotiation  Resolution attempts  Termination

 What evaluation points can you find for the breakdown of relationships?

 Name both models:  What is the third stage of Duck’s model?  Give one difference between the models (in general, not names or number of stages etc):  Give one similarity between the models (in general, again!):  Explain the last stage of Duck’s model:  Explain the third stage of Lees model:  What are Duck’s reasons for relationship breakdown?