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A Lifelong Friendship Through Knapp’s Relational Model

Interpersonal relationships are always changing, even the ones that have lasted the longest. One of the most important relationships in my life is with one of my best friends, and someone I’ve known since Kindergarten. Although our friendship started when we were young, it has continued to grow and change over time. Using Knapp’s Relational Model, I see our current relationship fitting best into the intensifying stage.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time together. In grade school and high school, we had similar routines, classes, and activities, which made it easy to hang out regularly and stay close. As we got older and closer to college, we both chose to pursue sports that took us in different directions. She chose to run track at a school near home, and I chose to play soccer at a school across the country. Distance and demanding schedules meant we no longer saw each other in person as often. Communicating online became very important to keep our friendship and help us stay connected. The intensifying stage is marked by increased emotional closeness, trust, and self-expression. Texting, facetiming, and social media made it easier to stay involved in each others’ lives, even when we weren’t seeing each other regularly. These tools allowed us to share daily thoughts, offer support during stressful moments, and continue to feel connected. 

According to Adler and Proctor (2023), perception plays a significant role in interpersonal communication, especially in online settings, because tone and nonverbal cues can be misinterpreted. While online communication strengthened our connection, it also created moments of misunderstanding due to misinterpreted messages or late responses. Being aware of these perception gaps helped us communicate more clearly and avoid unnecessary conflict. 

Overall, online communication has positively impacted the intensifying stage of this long-term friendship. Even though technology comes with challenges, it has helped us stay connected and continue growing our friendship. Knapp’s Relational Model helps explain how even lifelong friendships require ongoing communication and adaptation to continue growing rather than drifting. 



References:

Adler, R. B., & Proctor, R. F. II. (2023). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication (16th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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