Stages of Relationships

1
Stages of Relationships

• Tamara Arrington
• University of Kentucky
• Bluegrass Community Technical College
• COM 252

2
Mark KnappUniversity of Texas, Austin
Mark L. Knapp (PhD, Pennsylvania State
University, 1966) is internationally known for
his work in nonverbal communication. Dr. Knapp
teaches courses at the graduate and undergraduate
levels in nonverbal communication, communication
and personal relationships, lying and deception,
and specialized seminars in interpersonal
behavior
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Initiating

• Networking
• Offering
• Approaching
• Sustaining

Douglas (1987)
Smiles, handshakes introductions
4
Experimenting

• Searching for common ground
• Safe topics
• Occurs more rapidly in cyberspace than
  face-to-face
• The audition stage of relationships

Small talk
5
Intensifying
Increased amount of time together Express
feelings to discuss the state of the
relationship Getting to know friends family
Giving tokens of affection
Trying to look more attractive
Hinting flirting
6
Integrating

• Take on identity as a social unit (we, us,
  our)
• Develop routines and rituals
• We give up some characteristics of our former
  selves and become different people
• Sense of obligation grows
• More intimacy, less uncertainty, more influence

7
Bonding
Signing a business contract
Engagement marriage
Symbolic public gestures
A public display of commitment
8
Differentiating
How are we different? How am I unique?
The first, inevitable, feelings of stress
9
Circumscribing
Decreases in quality and quantity of communiction
Subtle hints of dissatisfaction grow
10
Stagnating

• Not much feeling
• No growth
• Sense of same old-same old without joy or
  novelty

Youve lost that lovin feelin
11
Avoiding

• Expressing detatchment
• Avoiding involvement
• Showing antagonism
• Mentally disassociate
• (Hess, 2000)

12
Terminating
The type of ending strategy depends on the level
of intimacy