Interpersonal Reflection: Knapp's Relational Development Model

This essay reflects on the stages of Knapp's Relational Development Model in the context of a romantic relationship between the author's friend and his girlfriend. The essay discusses the stages of initiation, experimentation, intensifying, integration, and bonding, and how the couple has navigated through them. The essay also highlights the importance of communication and adjustment in maintaining a healthy relationship.

Running head: INTERPERSONAL REFLECTION
INTERPERSONAL REFLECTION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note:

1INTERPERSONAL REFLECTION
Relationship between individuals are mainly dependant on the desire of being
together and wanting to flourish with common goals. However there are various objectives
with which the individuals may come together in a relationship. The primary motive in a
romantic relationship is to give each other emotional support, fulfil each other’s mental and
physical desires and in times of crisis stand together (Dusi, Messetti & Steinbach, 2014). In
this particular essay I will take the example of my friend and his girlfriend’s relationship,
they are together for 3 years and plan to marry soon.
Knapp’s relational development model is a model which describes the stages through
which a particular relationship grows and develops. There are various stages like “coming
together”, “relational maintenance”, and “coming apart”. The “coming together” stage starts
with initiation. Both the individuals try to impress each other by physical activities and
showing the best self. However some people may have problems in interacting with a new
person. “Because people tend to shy away from interacting with outgroupers, they may rely
on stereotypes to form judgments about them” (Mccornack, 2016). My friend first met his
girlfriend when they started their college and it is true that in the initiation stage they looked
at each other and tried to impress by their physical behaviour. The next stage is
Experimentation in which a dialogue begins and both the sides are keen to know about each
other and try to understand the commonalities and differences between them. I have seen this
happening with my friend in the initial stage when he and his girlfriend had begun their
conversation. They were mainly trying to find out what are the common things they like. The
next stage is called intensifying, based on the common grounds found in the experimentation
stage.
My friend and his partner has been in the relationship for 3 years now and in present
times it is difficult to maintain a healthy romantic relationship for a long time (Fox &
Warber, 2013). Knapp’s relational developmental model states that in the Relational

2INTERPERSONAL REFLECTION
Maintenance phase there are various stages such as Integration and Bonding. This is when the
relationship develops and both the individuals adjust with each other. Cooperative verbal
communicators strive to use appropriate, informative, honest, relevant, and clear language.
But in many difficult and complicated relationship situations, deception becomes a tempting
alternative (Mccornack, 2016). This is an ongoing process and if both the sides are not
willing to adjust, the relationship breaks down. My friend and his girlfriend had a number of
situations when they had grave problems and the relationship was almost in the verge of
breaking down. However they gave more importance to each other than the problems and
resisted their ego to come back in the relationship.
In the above stages the relationship my friend is having agreed to the Knapp’s
relational developmental model. However the next phase called the phase of coming apart is
not yet experienced by them. This stage is divided into Stagnation, avoidance and
termination.

3INTERPERSONAL REFLECTION
Reference:
Dusi, P., Messetti, G., & Steinbach, M. (2014). Skills, attitudes, relational abilities &
reflexivity: competences for a multicultural society. Procedia-Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 112, 538-547.
Fox, J., & Warber, K. M. (2013). Romantic relationship development in the age of Facebook:
An exploratory study of emerging adults' perceptions, motives, and behaviors.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(1), 3-7.
McCornack, S. (2016). Reflect & Relate: an introduction to interpersonal communication.
United States of America.