Knapp’s Relationship Model
Introduction
Knapp’s communication theory is crucial in understanding communication barriers, practices, models, and development. Via his theoretical model, relational enhancement, Knapp denotes the importance of interpersonal development among individuals. Precisely, Knapp’s relationship models fully elaborate on the terminal models of interaction. Via the diverse stage levels, he identifies the essence of relationship deterioration or progression. Knapp’s introduction to the ten steps of development fully demonstrates the impact of communication in dissolving or restoring relationships (Duran & Kelly, 2017). In addition to other communication theories such as social penetration, relational de-escalation, and uncertainty reduction theories, Knapp’s approach also remains vital in helping individuals understand and organize their communication process. Consecutively, one learns on the best communication behaviors depending on the relationship at hand. Hence, the goal of this essay is to provide an overview of Knapp’s communication theory in addition to its real-life applications and in-depth analysis.
Theory Background
Knapp’s relationship model denotes how relationships grow fully and last, in addition to how they end at times. He identifies ten specific stages from the interrelating steps and therefore combines the escalation and termination model. Individuals, through the analysis of Knapp’s relationship model, would understand how relationship deteriorates or progresses. The speed drivers altered in the specific steps provide direct experiences of how communication grows, lasts, or ends. Knapp’s relationship model is fixed to the relational maintenance divisions, namely. “Coming together and Coming apart.” Under “Coming together, Knapp denotes five specific steps. They include bonding, integrating, intensifying, experimenting, and initiating. “Coming Apart” includes the process of differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating, avoiding, and terminating.
Knapp’s relationship escalation model, which means “coming together,” denotes the initiation step. It is a very short stage that includes making good impressions. Judging at this particular point is not essential, and that the favorable impression collected might aid an individual’s perforation on the next stage. Under “Experimentation,” one tries to explore and know the parties involved. He or she will analyze the other person’s information and decide to continue or terminate the relationship (Duran & Kelly, 2017). Intensifying and integration stages mean becoming less formal and that one can reveal personal information. After that, they might decide to make their relationship more closely. Lastly, the bonding stage enables one to announce their on-going connection to the world.
Knapp’s relationship termination model on ‘differentiation’ identifies external pressure groups to undergo individually. When individuals decide to limit their conversation, the latter is called circumscribing. Such groups will try to limit communication and never offer a topic to continue with the conversation. The next step is the stagnation period, where communication is limited. The due course of stagnation is avoidance and that the partners intentionally avoid contact (Van Ruler, 2018). The process is finally followed by termination. Partners take different parts and go on with their lives.
Indeed, Knapp’s theory is vital in understanding how the relationship starts, proceeds, or even end due to specific features. It is an accurate and helpful piece of information, especially when building or un-tying bonds. It helps one understand the various forms of relationships based on romantic couples or friends.
Real-Life Example
My friend and I had a severe conflict, especially while trying to invest in an online business. The two of us experienced leadership conflict. Everyone was insisting on his way of leading. Perhaps the latter made specific senses to the two of us; however, we would not conclude the path to take significantly. In the current society, leadership styles in business can positively raise concerns to the parties present. To the two of us, the very steps presented cause confusion to our line of business and lead to irritation elements, reducing daily business goals. Much of the time was intertwined with the kind of leadership every one of us wanted to use. My friend recommended a direct approach to work while I had a more open and inclusive leadership style. There were several times consumed to the core values differences in the long run, which positively affected our interdependency levels of operations. Three months down the line, we were left with no choice but to facilitate closure to our online business. The losses experienced were more unlike the profits.
In-Depth Analysis
Indeed, “the real-life” example above is connected to Knapp’s theory of relationship. It follows Knapp’s “coming apart” five stages. Under Knapp’s relationship termination model’s differentiating phase occurs when two or more people experience external pressures individually (Theodore, Daniel & Traci, 1998). In our case, groups failed to connect because of leadership conflict. Both of us wanted to expose and apply the outlined methods. Instead of focusing on business, we started falling apart and explore the rest of our endeavors. The next step that the online business took was “circumscribing.” Even though we were business partners, we limited conversations as we continued parting in the introduced leadership strategy. In the process, there was not only circumscribing but also a stagnation stage. We limited our discussion more even though the communication proceeded but not like at the start. Due to frequent misunderstanding with my friend on leadership to apply in the business, we were making more losses. In the end, we made a mere profit, unlike the business objectives. Therefore we came to the final decision that the online business was doing us mere good. We thus terminated the relationship and failed on distinctive ends. The latter generally followed Knapp’s theory of relationship termination. It was portrayed as an indefinite relationship and followed the five stages (Theodore, Daniel & Traci, 1998). Indeed, the several steps that our online business activities went through were equivalent to Knapp’s relationship model.
Therefore, I would fully initiate a business strategy linked to Knapp’s relationship escalation model for future interaction. The five stages, which include bonding, integrating, intensifying, experimenting, and initiating the process, will be implemented highly. The process, which takes time, will fix several challenges linked to leadership conflicts.
In conclusion, Knapp’s relationship model is vital in explaining various forms of activities of communication. He introduces the ten different stages critical in escalation and termination of a relationship. The ten steps include bonding, integrating, intensifying, experimentation, initiating, differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating, avoiding, and termination. The various stages impact mass, political, technical, and visual communication and the firms’ intercultural and interpersonal communication. Generally, Knapp’s relationship model elaborates on how relationships tend to grow, last, or even end. Its diverse levels are intertwined with the progress made in the relationship. Knapp’s relationship model highly simplified the process of how humans build and end the relationship. It defines the present and past relationships that naturally occur via several routes, such as online means.
References
Duran, R. L., & Kelly, L. (2017). Knapp’s Model of Relational Development in the Digital Age. Iowa Journal of Communication, 49.
Theodore A. Avtgis, Daniel V. West & Traci L. Anderson (1998). Relationship stages: An inductive analysis cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of Knapp’s relational stages model.
Van Ruler, B. (2018). Communication theory: An underrated pillar on which strategic communication rests. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 367-381.