A social psychology theory that studies romantic breakups and how they approach collapse. Developed by social psychologist Steve Duck (1982), this model provides a framework for understanding the stages that people go through during a decadence or permanent breakdown. Duck’s model is one of the most important theories linking personal and social factors in explaining the end of a relationship, an analytical framework that describes the psychological and social process that a romantic relationship goes through during a breakup, through a set of specific stages illustrating how people perceive problems, decide to break up, and implement the breakup on psychological and social levels. Duck’s model explains that the breakup of a romantic relationship is a gradual process that goes through certain psychological and social stages, starting with internal discomfort, going through discussion and socialization, and ending with a reassessment of the relationship and personal reconstruction. Understanding these stages helps people deal with the breakup more consciously and maturely.