Development of Intimate Relationships

18 Pages 4407 Words

as the means by which people move from the outer layers to the more
intimate levels of personality. They categorise this progression in four levels of relationship: a) orientation, b)
exploratory affective exchange, c) affective exchange and d) stable exchange. As each of these levels are reached,
both breadth (the content level) and depth (the intimacy level) of message content increase through reciprocal self
disclosure. In the orientation level, initial contact is made with only peripheral aspects of personality accessible to
the other. In the second level, more information is available to each other and the relationship tends to be friendly
and casual without commitment. At the stage of affective exchange, the people involved get to know more about
the central aspects of each other's personality, and as a result, become more vulnerable to each other. At the final
level, the people are free to express spontaneously many aspects of their personalities and share private feelings
and experiences (Altman & Taylor, 1973, pp 138-139).

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