Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

how to handle financial issues.
Sometimes we form relationships with others after we have disclosed something about ourselves to
others. Disclosure increases liking because it creates support and trust between you and this other person.
We typically don’t disclose our most intimate thoughts to a stranger. We do this behavior with people we
are close to because it creates a bond with the other person.
Disclosure is not the only factor that can lead to forming relationships. Disclosure needs to be
appropriate and reciprocal 8 . In other words, if you provide information, it must be mutual. If you reveal
too much or too little, it might be regarded as inappropriate and can create tension. Also, if you disclose
information too soon or too quickly in the relationship, it can create some negative outcomes.
Key Takeaways
• We can be attracted to another person via various ways. It might be due to
physical proximity, physical appearance, perceived gain, similarity/differences,
and disclosure.
• The deepening of relationships can occur through disclosure and mutual trust.
• Relationships end through some form of separation or dissolution.
Exercises
• Take a poll of the couples that you know and how they met. Which category does
it fall into? Is there a difference among your couples and how they met?
• What are some ways that you could form a relationship with others? Discuss your
findings with the class. How is it different/similar to what we talked about in this
chapter?
• Discuss how and why a certain relationship that you know dissolved. What were
the reasons or factors that caused the separation?
8.3 Stages of Relationships
Learning
Outcomes
1. Describe the coming together stages.
2. Discern the coming apart stages.
3. Realize relationship maintenance strategies.
Every relationship goes through various stages. Mark Knapp first introduced a series of stages through
whichrelationships can progress. 9 This model was later modified by himself and coauthor Anita
Vangelisti to create a model of relationships. 10 They believe that we come together and we can come
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Interpersonal Communication