Interpersonal relationship: Encyclopedia II - Interpersonal relationship - Stages of Relationship Formation

Interpersonal relationship - Stages of Relationship Formation

1) Contact:

    a) Uncertainty reduction - through eye contact, identification, opening disclosure, etc.
    b) Perceptual - notice how a person looks at the other and their body language.
    c) Interactional cues - nodding, maintaining eye contact, etc.
    d) Invitational - encouraging the relationship (ex. asking if they want to meet up later for coffee)
    e) Avoidance strategies - if one person discloses and the other does not, minimal response, lack of eye contact, etc.

2) Involvement

    a) Feelers - hints or questions (ex. asking about family)
    b) Intensifying strategies - further the relationship (ex. meeting old friend, bringing the other to meet family, becoming more affectionate, etc.)
    c) Public - seen in public together often (ex. if in a romantic relationship, may be holding hands)

3) Intimacy -very close, may have exchanged some sort of personal belonging or something that represents further commitment. (ex. may be a promise ring in a romantic relationship or a friendship necklace symbolizing two people are best friends)

4) Deterioration - things start to fall apart. In a romantic relationship, after six months people are out of the "honeymoon stage" and start to notice flaws. The way this is dealt with determines the fate of the relationship.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Stages of Relationship Formation", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki