Final answer:
Stages of romantic relationship development include Invitational, Explorational, and Intensifying communication, with the latter being a phase where deeper emotional connections are established. The ideal outcome, consummate love, comprises intimacy, passion, and commitment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the stages of growth in the development of romantic relationships, stages a (Invitational communication), d (Explorational communication), and e (Intensifying communication) are recognized. Specifically, Intensifying communication is a stage where individuals begin to share more personal information and emotional experiences, signaling the growth of a more serious romantic relationship. This stage follows earlier ones such as invitational communication, where one might express interest and ask the other person to spend time together, and explorational communication, where the individuals get to know each other better and explore mutual interests.
These stages reflect the gradual deepening of intimacy as described by theories such as that developed by Sternberg which suggests that consummate love, characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment, is essential for a healthy relationship. In this context, intimacy pertains not only to physical closeness but also to the emotional bond that is fostered through self-disclosure and responsive communication, as highlighted by Laurenceau et al. (1998).
Therefore, choice e. Intensifying communication is a stage of growth in the development of romantic relationships, although the full development of such relationships would include all the options listed, except for "individuality" which is not explicitly a communication stage.