SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORY

Social penetration theory is a theory suggested by social psychologists Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor which explains the development of relational closeness (Griffin, 2009, p. 114). Griffin (2009) defined social penetration as “the process of developing deeper intimacy with another person through mutual self- disclosure and other forms of vulnerability” (p. 114). The theory simply explains how people develop closeness with each other after experiencing a gradual information-sharing right from the superficial to the intimate level that would eventually lead to the formation of some kind of relationship.

Altman and Taylor made a comparison between people to onions whereby the layers of an onion depict the multilayered structure of personality. Each layers of the onion represent an individual beliefs and feelings about own self, others and the world and as the layers reached to the deeper level, these represent a more vulnerable, protected and central to one’s self image which includes one’s values, self-concept, possible unresolved conflicts and deeply felt emotions (Griffin, 2009, p. 114).

There are 5 stages under social penetration: ‘orientation stage’, ‘exploratory affective stage’, ‘affective stage’, ‘stable stage’ and ‘depenetration’ (Altman & Taylor, 1973). Here I will be using a 2002 movie adaptation of Nicholas Spark’s novel, A Walk to Remember, to explain these social penetration stages.

A Walk to Remember depict the story of how a popular but rebellious Landon Carter (played by Shane West) fell in love with a girl whose behaviour contradicts Landon’s. Jamie Sullivan (played by Mandy Moore) is the reverend’s daughter who was quiet, kind and a bookworm. The ‘orientation stage’ started when they were in a school bus right after tutoring the needy children where Jamie initiate a conversation with Landon and asked him if he wanted to buy tickets to help raise a fund to which Landon abruptly shut her by telling her if that’s her idea of a small talk, then it’s not working.

Although they didn’t start off on a smooth path, however they managed to go through the ‘exploratory affective stage’ where Landon was forced to join a play in the drama club to make up for his punishment by the school’s headmaster. There he began to develop a “secret friendship” with Jamie as he was seeking for her help by going through lines together since Jamie was taking part in the play as well and on another account, Landon also found out that Jamie has a passion for astronomy when he encountered her going to a cemetery with a telescope.

After so many times spent together, Landon realized he began to develop feelings for Jamie who initially made him swore that he wouldn’t fall in love with her but apparently he failed to resist his own feelings. This is where the ‘affective stage’ takes place where their relationship started to develop and Landon even went to see the reverend and seek for his permission to allow him to take his daughter out and Jamie was mesmerised by Landon’s bold moves.

When Jamie fell ill one day, Landon went on to fulfil her wishes from building an enormous telescope, to applying for Medicine’s school, to proposing to Jamie and marrying her at the church where her parents got married. This is known as the ‘stable stage’.

However, the ‘depenetration stage’ occurs when Jamie passed away and ever since Landon was thankful that she made him a better man and he’d always missed her.

References:

Altman, I., & Taylor, D. (1973). Social Penetration Theory. Retrieved                fromhttps://www2.mcdaniel.edu/rtrader/com1102/socialpenetrationtheory.pdf   

Griffin, E. (2009). A first look at communication theory. (7^th ed).                        New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.