Intensification Stage

Page 160

The intensification stage occurs when relational partners become increasingly intimate and move their communication toward more personal self-disclosures. This stage includes the use of informal address or pet names (“honey,” “darling”) as well as “we” talk (“We’re going to the concert on Friday night, right?” “Where are we going for your birthday next week?”). Relational partners in this stage also understand each other’s nonverbal communication to a greater degree and often share their affection with one another (“What would I do without you!”) (Knapp & Vangelisti, 2000).