Saturday, October 3, 2009
Identifying the first 5 stages of the Mark Knapp Model of Relational development.
Video used and Song used= I'm crazy for this girl(by: Evan and Jaron)– movie chosen: 50 First Dates.
Mark Knapp Model of relational development is one of the most influential models of relationships. It maps the progression and development of relationships as a series of 10 stages in the two phases of "growing deeper" and "dissolving".
I will briefly explain about the first 5 stages of the "coming together phase" of the Knapp Model of Relational Development.
Stage 1: The initiating stage.
Screening and filtering will take place between people, whereby the parties involved will present themselves in a favourable light to give a good impression. They will look out for cues as to whether to engage in further interactions and if it is alright to do so, they will try to keep communication channels open.Communication topics and conversations are kept shallow and "on the surface" because parties don't know each other well yet.
[If things go smoothly and the evaluations during the first stage is positive, the couple will move on to stage 2.]
Stage 2: The experimenting stage.
The parties involved will communicate "small talk", which is phatic communication that will uncover topics for future expansion of conversations. They will find a common ground to begin to build their friendship/relationship.
Stage 3: The intensifying stage.
There are more and deeper self-disclosure of feelings to the other party. There is an increase in commitment and participation in each other's lives.
Stage 4: The integrating stage.
The individuals "merge" to become an official couple to the public as their social circles merge. This is the stage whereby there is the coupling of individual characters into a relational unit.
Stage 5: The bonding stage.
This is the time that couples will formalize or legitimize the commitment towards each other by a significant public ritual, example: marriage.
Now let us "break down" and analyse the video in sections, i have listed the timings during different parts of the movie that exemplifies the stages 1-5 below.
From timings, [0.09-0.44] and [2.29-2.51] = stage 1 .We can see the lead actor trying various ways and means in different situations to approach the lead actress and get to know her.
From timings, [0.45-0.54] = stage 2.
From timings, [0.55-1.54] and [2.04-2.28] = stage 3 & 4. We can see them spending time together as a couple.
From timings, [1.55-2.02] and [2.53-3.04] = stage 5. We can see that the lead actress was carrying her daughter in her arms. Next,was that she realizes that she was wearing a wedding band when she woke up,and they showed a scene of the wedding ceremony of the lead actor and actress.
I hope you have enjoyed the short video of the movie and understood the 5 stages of Mark Knapp Model of relational development! : D
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10 comments:
Relationships develop at different paces and tempos, often with vastly varying results.
A relationship with less communication tends to be less open. There will be hidden secrets for both parties and there will be little trust. Such relationships will not last long. In contrast relationships with more communication are generally perceived to have a longer lifespan.
However being too "open" might have dire consequences if the other party is not ready to accept all your faults yet. It is therefore important for all available singles to note that you should not spill all your beans to a prospective partner at the first meeting, as research has shown that the common reaction would be rejection.
Relational development should thus be in accordance to Mark Knapp's model. Of course there can be skipping of stages, however the danger that the couple will be stuck at the next stage will always haunt them because of that!
It is always important to build a strong foundation of friendship before committing into a relationship that isn't ready to go through thick and thin together.
And it is always a joy to go through all 5 stages and find who is more suitable for you instead of skipping and bypass stages to fulfil emotional needs.
It is also important to note that, more often than not, there are skipping and regression of stages within the Knapp model. Things don't always move on smoothly, and some stages may prove redundant to certain people, because of reasons like a transition from friendship to a romantic relationship, where several of the initial stages can be skipped totally.
Gr8 article Louisa! I really like e video you used to teach about e model, very easy to understand:) thanks for sharing!
yes, its more ideal if couples are able to follow through all the stages of the Knapp model of relational development, however, it is rather common to see unprogressive steps.
Two best friends could have been enjoying a platonic friendship for over a decade, before they realise that they like each other enough to be in a relationship, thus, the gap between stage 2 and stage 4 is huge (in terms of the number of years).
Wow. Thank you for this interesting post. Learned something useful today... the Mark Knapp Model of Relationship Development!
Interesting topic you touched on louisa, relational development is a daily occurrence and i believe it all boils down to trust,communication and openness, this too, would give us signals if we ever step too close a boundary with another,especially if we are already emotionally attached to another.
The model's a rough general idea for how relational development occurs however it does not apply to all relationships in my opinion, especially in today's world, marriage may not be valued, or some would prefer freedom or secrets between them and their spouses. But i do agree with how the model is an apt and smooth way in which relationships can be improved.
Nice write up, maybe you can share with us the other deeper stages of Mark Knapp's Model? :)
Mark Knapp Model of relational development is acutely accurate in identifying the progression and development of relationships. In my perspective, every stage is significant and not to be miss. It is important to build a stable foundation early in any relationship - be it between platonic friends or in the context of a romantic relationship. Thus, i reckon it is rather unwise to rush the progression or development of each relationship stages. However, i understand that there are some couples who graduate to the next stage more promptly than others.
Kenneth,i agree with your statement that the knapp model is a rough general idea for how relational development occurs, however it does not apply to all relationship, especially in today's modern world, where stages of relationships takes on a different form and will progress based on individuals.
And as for the relational formation of a relationship, there's only 5 stages. The next 5 stages actually talks about relational dissolution ( breaking up).
In order to enjoy a heaven on earth relationship with your loved ones, one needs to know how to give and take in appropriate situations.
Communicating with each other often, to sort out differences is something very neccessary too.
Remember, balance is the key! =)
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