Amitier

vBlog Post: The Turning Point in a Friendship Topic: Interpersonal Relationships Stage: Differentiating (Knapp’s Relational Model) Friendships often change over time, especially when life circumstances shift. One of my closest friendships recently entered the Differentiating stage of Knapp’s Relational Model. We had been friends since high school, but as we both moved to different cities and developed new interests, our conversations became less about shared experiences and more about our differences. We started emphasizing how we were “not the same” anymore—something that, according to Knapp, marks the beginning of relational distancing. Online communication made this shift feel even more noticeable. Texting removed tone and nuance, so simple messages often felt cold or distant. Video calls became less frequent, and the connection we once had felt strained. Instead of bridging the gap, digital communication highlighted it. As West and Turner describe, “when partners begin to stress their differences rather than similarities, the relationship starts to weaken” (West & Turner, 2022, p. 206). That’s exactly what happened. We still talk occasionally, but the closeness has faded, and I realize now that not all relationships are meant to stay in the same phase forever. Appreciation: I found it eye-opening to analyze a real relationship through Knapp’s model. It gave me language and clarity about what I had been feeling but couldn’t fully explain. Citation (APA style): West, R., & Turner, L. H. (2022). Understanding interpersonal communication: Making choices in changing times (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.