Knapp's Relational Model

 

Photo Credit: OER Commons

 

Regarding interpersonal communication, Knapp's Relational Model is a visual method of defining the different stages that occur during human relationships. It can refer to both romantic and non-romantic relationships, and—despite the picture—these stages do not necessarily have to follow a linear path but may roam up and down the staircases, crossover between staircases, and the stages may last for various lengths of time. Knapp’s Relational Model involves ten steps—initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, bonding, differentiation, circumscribing, stagnation, avoiding, and termination. The first five of these steps are said to be “Coming Together” or the relationship’s development, and last five are deemed to be “Coming Apart” or the breakdown of the relationship.  

A relationship of mine that I can mostly compare to Knapp's Relational Model is that of a coworker/friend. I first met her at my place of employment. She was a new hire, so I said hi and asked her general questions about herself. That was our Initiation stage. Since we ended up working together nearly every day, we quickly moved into in the Experimenting stage, exchanging small talk and sharing surface-level personal information (i.e., weekend plans or amusing anecdotes of what had happened to us after work, etc.). Within several months, it was clear we were both friends. We occasionally brought in food or coffee for each other, met outside of work hours, talked about more personal things, and hugged each other goodbye at the end of the day (Intensifying and Integrating). After several years, (Bonding) though, it was time for me to leave our workplace (Differentiating). However, we still do our best to keep in touch, generally by texting; then, we set up a date to get together in person. Thus, in this way, online communication has boosted our relationship because—at the times we can’t meet with each other physically—we can at least catch up by text.