1. Identify the features that influence the formation of interpersonal relationships.

The factors that influence the development of an interpersonal relationship include proximity (the real or virtual distance between people), physical attraction, social attraction, and costs and rewards. We are most attracted to others who are similar to us and who reciprocate our liking.

2. Explain the models of relationship formation.

Developmental perspectives on relationships explain how people form and progress interpersonal relationships by moving through a series of stages. According to the Social Penetration Theory, relationships develop as we gradually offer deeper and deeper self-disclosures. The Model of Interaction Stages details five stages of coming together and five stages of coming apart.

3. Discuss individual interpretations of relationship development.

Our cognitions, or thoughts, about relationships are central to the perception of relationship progress. We use imagined trajectories, or understandings of the various paths relationships can take and the outcomes of those paths, to evaluate relationships. In addition, we make sense of relationships with others through turning points, or perceptions of events that transform relationships.

4. Describe the ways in which interpersonal communication shapes relational culture.

Relational culture is shaped by dialectical tensions, or opposing but interdependent needs and values. The way in which partners manage dialectical tensions forms the culture of their relationship. Relational culture is also formed and expressed through symbolic practices.

5. Examine the ways in which communication technologies and new media influence interpersonal interaction. 

In the Communication Age, interpersonal communication increasingly involves a blend of face-to-face and computer-mediated communication. Communication technologies may influence the likelihood of relationship formation, the ways in which communication creates relationships, and the relational culture and climate generated by interpersonal communication.