Conrad and Donna have been dating for a short time. They spend a great deal of time talking in order to learn about each other. They want to know how many shared interests they have. Which of Knapp’s stages of romantic relational development are they experiencing?

They are in the stage called experimentation.

Explanation:

Mark Knapp, a professor at the University of Texas, studied relationships and concluded that, even though we have varied relationships in our lives, they all follow a similar pattern. He then came up with a total of ten steps in the development of relationships, five for when the relationship is created, five for when it is ending.

When developing a relationship, the five stages are: initiation, experimentation, intensifying, integration, and bonding. Conrad and Donna are in the second stage, experimentation. Experimentation happens when people take the time to get to know each other. They go out, talk, and search for similarities, shared values and opinions, so that they can decide whether or not to move forward with the relationship.