Table 7.4 Termination Strategies for Romantic Relationships
Strategy	Tactics	Examples
Positive-tone messages	Fairness	“It wouldn’t be right to go on pretending I’m in love with you when I know I’m not!”
	Compromise	“I still care about you. We can still see each other occasionally.”
	Fatalism	“We both know this relationship is doomed.”
De-escalation	Promise of friendship	“We can still be friends.”
	Implied possible reconciliation	“We need time apart; maybe that will rekindle our feelings for each other.”
	Blaming the relationship	“It’s not your fault, but this relationship is bogging us down.”
	Appeal to independence	“We don’t need to be tied down right now.”
Withdrawal or avoidance	Avoid contact with the person as much as possible	“I don’t think I’ll be able to see you this weekend.”
Justification	Emphasize positive consequences of disengaging	“It’s better for you and me to see other people since we’ve changed so much.”
	Emphasize negative consequences of not disengaging	“We will miss too many opportunities if we don’t see other people.”
Negative identity management	Emphasize enjoyment of life	“Life is too short to spend with just one person right now.”
	Nonnegotiation	“I need to see other people—period!”