Knapp Relationship Theory

The methods of communication have changed over time. Society has gone from writing letters to email. From there communication went to IM or text messaging. Technology continued to evolve and communication continued to advance. FaceTime or Skype allows us to communicate no matter the distance. Yet, one thing still remained – our interpersonal communication. We still exchange information. We still speak about our feelings, through verbal and non-verbal messages. Over time, myriads of professors have developed different theories that humans communicate. This paper will take a look at Knapp’s Relationship Theory what the purpose of the study is and the results. Furthermore, we’ll take a look at the strengths, weaknesses, and room for improvement

The first step is the initiation stage. This stage is all about making an impression. For example, if a guy is interested in a girl he will do anything in his power to pursue her. The second stage is the experimentation stage this is the notion of getting to know one another. In this stage, serious questions are being asked as an attempt to see if the couple are compatible with one another. In the third stage, the relationship moves from being in a formal to a more of a personal relationship. At this point in time, the couple begins to disclose personal information about themselves. They reveal more aspects of their lives. The fourth stage is called the integration stage. At this point, the couple has put a label on their relationship, and have defined the place they find themselves in. The last stage is coming together, meaning that the couple is ready to announce their relationship to the world. They end up moving past the labeling aspect and move on to making their romance a commitment and lifelong

Like all relationships, they won’t typically last long, and some are bound to fail. The first stage is the differentiating aspect. They will not see each other as a team. Instead, they will begin to see each other as individuals. In this part, their hobbies and future endeavors may look different. For example, this situation might look like the guy quitting what he’s doing and following his dreams of becoming a musician. The second stage which is circumscribing is an indicator of the couple slowly but surely growing apart. In this situation, both the girl and the guy avoid conversation about serious things and instead their conversations go from deep to the superficial conversations. The third part of the coming apart model is stagnation. The couple doesn’t communicate at all. The fourth part is the avoidance stage. The couple does everything in their power to avoid one another so that they avoid conversation. The last stage is termination. The couple realizes that their relationship is not going to