Social Penetration Theory

Definition: Social penetration theory contends that "as relationships develop, communication moves from relatively shallow, non-intimate levels to deeper, more personal ones." Source: Altman, I., & Taylor, D.A. (1973). Social penetration: The development of interpersonal relatioships. New York: Holt, Rinehard, and Winston.

Application: Social penetration theory is important for community developers in terms of forming relationships and building trust with community members. For example, rather than entering a community and immediately sharing intimate, personal details about yourself might be uncomfortable for community members who are meeting you for the first time. Instead, a community developer should begin to communicate and build relationships around less personal topics and gradually build up to both sharing and seeking more personal information after trust has been built.  

Adaptation: Social penetration theory could also be applied to the education field in terms of student-teacher relationships. For example, students may not feel comfortable sharing intimate details about their lives with a teacher they have just met (i.e. if they are having problems at home and that is why they are never on time to class). After having built some level of trust with the teacher, however, a student might feel that they can go to their teacher, share what is going on with them, and maybe ask them for help.