We know that people choose their relationships based on several factors. Those factors include:
- Appearance (how good they look)
- Similarity (are they like me?)
- Complementary (opposites attract)
- Reciprocal Attraction (they like me, so I like them)
- Competence (skilled, but not TOO skilled)
- Disclosure (sign of trust)
- Proximity (closeness)
- Rewards (Social Exchange Theory)
Knapp's Stages of Relationships
"Interpersonal relationships involve the way people deal with one another socially" (Adler, pg. 270). Knapp says that we go through stages in relationships: Coming Together stages, and Coming Apart stages.
Knapp's idea of Coming Together stages is how we develop relationships. Those stages are:
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Knapp's idea of Coming Apart stages is how relationships start to fall apart, and then eventually, end. those stages are:
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In the video below, you will hear Cinderella and Prince Charming talking about each other and how they just met the perfect person. This is an example of the Initiating phase, they have only just noticed each other "Ten Minutes Ago" and are already feeling a connection strong enough that they have hope for progressing the relationship.
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In the video below, you will see Maureen and Joanne move quickly from the Differentiating stage to the Terminating stage, without really going through the other stages. They start off just complaining to each other about how different they are and then realize that they are too different to continue the relationship.
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Adler, Ronald B., Judith A. Rolls, and Russell F. Proctor, II. LOOK: Looking Out, Looking in. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2012. Print.
Cinderella. By Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, II. Perf. Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana. N.d. Web.
RENT. Dir. Chris Columbus. By Jonathon Larson. Perf. Idina Menzel and Tracie Thoms. N.d. Web.
Cinderella. By Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, II. Perf. Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana. N.d. Web.
RENT. Dir. Chris Columbus. By Jonathon Larson. Perf. Idina Menzel and Tracie Thoms. N.d. Web.