Knapp's relational development model
Created by and named after communication scholar Mark L. Knapp, the model suggests that all of the steps should be done one at a time, in sequence, to make sure they are effective.
While a lot of important impressions are being processed, the actual initiation stage likely lasts less than 15 seconds.
The methods and messages used to initiate communication vary based on:[4]: 18 Experimentation is the stage where individuals begin to engage in self-disclosure to learn information about each other.
[4]: 19 [3]: 40 During the intensifying stage of Knapp's model, the two individuals will continue experimentation to determine whether there is mutual emotional affection and attachment.
Whereas in the previous experimentation phase, conversation focused more on superficial topics such as discovering shared areas of interest and commonalities, in the intensifying stage the level of self-disclosure deepens.
In this stage, certain behaviors, such as increasing one-on-one contact through more frequent communication (through face to face encounters, text, or phone calls), doing favors for a partner or offering gifts as tokens of affection, requesting commitment from a partner through direct definitional bid, personalized verbal expressions of affection such as "I love you" or assigning pet names such as "babe," and suggestive actions such as flirtation, gazing, or touching, may all emerge as methods of intensifying the connection between the two people.
Essential to the intensifying stage are "secret tests"[6] performed by each individual to ascertain whether his or her overtures are actually helpful in their intensification efforts.
[7]: 227–228 Once each individual feels confident, through their various intensification efforts, that mutual affection has been confirmed, the couple may begin to transition into the integration stage of their relationship.
During this stage, the couple is fused and elements of their respective social identities, such as friends, belongings, and living spaces, are now shared.
[4]: 20 Today, another indicator of integration can be seen on social media sites where partners can be seen in each other's profile picture.
[8] Additionally, the exclusive commitment each partner has for the other is generally solidified in this stage through even deeper self-disclosure and revealing of secrets, sex, and discussion of future plans.
Conflict is a common form of communication during this stage; oftentimes, it acts as a way to test how much the other can tolerate something that may threaten the relationship.
Knapp believes that differentiating can be the result of bonding too quickly; meaning, sufficient breadth and depth (see: Social penetration theory) was not established during the previous stages.
Termination can occur due to physical separation, growing socially or psychologically apart, or the death of one of the partners.
Communication in this stage is marked by distance (an attempt to put psychological and physical barriers between partners) and dissociation (messages that prepare one or both parties for their life without the other).
Social Media Networks allows us to broadcast and share information about out relationships much more quickly and to a much broader audience.
According to Fox and Weber’s 2013 study there are six stages in the escalation of relationships involving Social Media Networks: 1) Meet the target face to face 2) They went to Facebook to look at the profile of the target and send a friend request 3) Request and exchange phone numbers 4) They begin texting and will invite the target to a group activity 5) They will begin to post on the target's Facebook wall and comment on posts 6) They would call the person and ask them on a date In the next stage, integrating, social circles start to merge, and they may exchange symbols of their relationship or own property together.
Romantic relationship status can easily be found through a quick search of social media.
The initiation phase no longer requires taking a chance by asking directly what the relationship status is.
Facebook profiles provide information about an individual, such as education level, religion, interests, as well as photos.
Men don’t seem to feel that Facebook Official necessarily means they are in a committed relationship or at the very least as seriously as their partner does.
