List and Define each of the 10 stages of Mark Knapp’s Relational Development Model. The stages must be listed in order and accurately defined. In addition, include a clear explanation of when the couple is coming together, coming apart, and when they are in the relational maintenance.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Mark Knapp’s Relational Development Model outlines 10 stages that describe how relationships progress and either grow or deteriorate. These stages are divided into two main sections: the “coming together” stages, the “coming apart” stages, and the “maintenance” stage. Here’s a breakdown of each stage and the relationship phases:
Coming Together:
- Initiating: The first stage where individuals meet and make initial contact. The goal is to make a positive impression and decide if there is interest in continuing the relationship.
- Experimenting: This stage involves exploring common interests and determining compatibility. It’s often characterized by small talk and learning about each other.
- Intensifying: As emotional connections deepen, individuals share more personal details. There is a greater sense of closeness and affection, and the relationship becomes more exclusive.
- Integrating: The couple’s lives become intertwined. They begin to share routines, friends, and social circles. The relationship becomes more public and seen as a unit.
- Bonding: This stage involves formalizing the relationship, often through significant commitments such as marriage or partnership. It’s a public declaration of the relationship’s permanence.
Relational Maintenance:
- Maintenance: This stage occurs after bonding. It focuses on keeping the relationship stable and healthy. Couples engage in behaviors like communication, trust-building, and shared activities to sustain the relationship.
Coming Apart:
- Differentiating: The couple begins to emphasize their differences, and individual identities become more pronounced. Tension may arise due to a growing sense of independence.
- Circumscribing: Communication reduces, and conversations become more superficial. Emotional intimacy decreases, and partners may avoid discussing sensitive topics.
- Stagnating: The relationship becomes inactive, with little to no growth. Partners feel stuck and may avoid new experiences together.
- Avoiding: Physical or emotional distance increases. Partners may create space to avoid confrontation or unpleasant interactions.
- Terminating: The relationship ends. This stage marks the final dissolution, whether through a breakup, divorce, or other means.
Explanation:
The “coming together” stages describe the development of a relationship, starting from initial contact and culminating in formal commitment. During these stages, couples focus on deepening their connection and increasing intimacy. The “maintenance” stage follows, where the couple works to preserve the relationship by engaging in behaviors that sustain closeness. The “coming apart” stages illustrate how relationships deteriorate, starting with differentiation and ending with termination. A couple’s progression through these stages may not always follow a linear path and can occur at different speeds depending on the individuals involved. Relationships can move back and forth between stages before reaching termination.