Stage Theories of Relationship Development

Wheel Model of Love

The wheel model of love, advanced by Ira Reiss, describes four stages in romantic relationship formation. During the rapport stage, individuals establish understanding and common ground. Next, in the self-revelation stage, partners engage [Page 1590]in self-disclosure to convey private information about themselves. This self-disclosure prompts the mutual dependency stage, during which partners provide important rewards for one another. The model asserts that couples who successfully negotiate the rapport, self-revelation, and mutual dependency phases enter the intimacy need fulfillment stage. This stage is when partners feel romantic love for each other. Thus, the wheel model uses a four-stage structure to depict how relationships progress from acquaintance to romantic love.

Filter Theory of Relationship Development

The filter theory of relationship development, constructed by Alan Kerckhoff and Keith Davis, argues that romantic couples must satisfy three filters en route to marriage. First, individuals appraise the extent to which potential partners possess desirable social characteristics, such as ethnic background, religious beliefs, and socio-economic status. The filter theory contends that people will form a relationship with a partner who meets or exceeds their standards. Couples encounter a second filter when they begin to embark on a relationship. People assess their similarity of attitudes and values at this stage. If partners conclude that their perspectives are enough alike, the need complementarity filter becomes salient. Individuals evaluate whether their partner is capable of fulfilling their long-term needs. Accordingly, the filter theory identifies social characteristics, attitude similarity, and complementary needs as filters that determine relationship progression.

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