Communicating Online: Knapp's Relational Model

 Hello again, classmates!

This week, we are analyzing a recent or current relationship within the Knapp Relational Model. This model was invented by Mark Knapp who, according to this article, is a "renowned professor at the University of Texas, and is known for this work in nonverbal communication research and in evolving interactions." The relational model "maps relational enhancement which routes the interpersonal development between two people." 

In other words, the model describes how relationships evolve and are maintained, and also how they fracture. The model is categorized by two different stages that detail the incline of relationships (Coming Together), the decline (Coming Apart), and the connecting thread between them labeled as "Relational Maintenance." 

This model is illustrated below: 

                                                                            [source]

In this post, as we only need to focus on one of the stages, I will discuss an exclusively online relationship that I briefly had in the 2015-2016 years. This relationship was created by and within a shared fandom on a well known social media site, and went through the Knapp stages pretty quickly. Due to the sensitive nature of many of those stages, I will only focus on the Experimentation stage. 

The Experimentation stage is characterized by exploration-- getting to know each other well, and analyzing each other for information and commonalities in order to decide whether or not to continue the relationship. Since this one was entirely online, and the only one I've had like it, the Experimentation stage was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Almost all of our communication was through the written word-- instant messaging was our main channel, and we used a few different platforms. As the relationship grew, videos and pictures were also used, but the other person in this relationship did not want to leave those channels of communication. These stipulations made the Experimentation stage extremely tough as I could not witness nonverbal cues or facial expressions, so what was written between us was constantly being analyzed. Though, despite these concerns, the relationship managed to survive for a brief time due to shared interests and a deep connection. We realized during the Experimentation phase that we had much more in common outside of the fandom, and quickly bonded because of it. I will not go into what severed the relationship as it's intensely personal, but suffice it to say that we did not quite follow the Coming Apart section of the Knapp Model- we fell from Relational Maintenance all the way to Avoiding. Due to this experience, I am very wary of online communication, and find it hard to trust the other online person to whom I'm speaking. Though I truly believe online relationships can be, and are, just as intense as in-person relationships, online communication makes it much harder to authenticate people and their intentions. 

-H