Relational Turbulence Model Essay

Holmes-Rahe (1967) found out that “marital separation from mate” is the 3rd most stressful life event to a person, next to “death of a spouse” and “divorce.” Another study on Human Development Report (2009) states that “separation [between spouses] is typically a painful decision incurring high emotional costs for both the mover and those left behind.” In addition to this, they would also have to go through the challenge of maintaining their relationship despite being physically apart. The transition experienced by couples from being in proximity to being geographically apart creates a time of amplified intensity and drama (Knobloch, 2007).

The relational turbulence model of Solomon and Knobloch (2004) explains why transitions causes turmoil in a relationship. Relational turbulence is the individual’s tendency to be cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally reactive to relationship

First, the impact of the transition is focused on relational uncertainty, which is defined as the doubts people have about the nature and future of their relationship. It consists of three factors and serves as sources of ambiguity: self uncertainty, partner uncertainty, and relationship uncertainty. Self uncertainty encompasses the questions individuals have about their own participation in a relationship. Partner uncertainty includes the ambiguity people experience about their partner’s participation in a relationship. Relationship uncertainty refers to the questions that arise about the state of the relationship as a whole. Second is the interference from a partner, which is defined as the actions of the partner that serves to hinder the progress towards a goal. The logic is that relational uncertainty and interference from a partner will be heightened at levels of intimacy as seen in relationships undergoing transition. This theory has been applied to several researches