A 5-week study was conducted to examine the acquainting process--changes that occur as a relationship between two strangers develops. Fifty subjects were paired in same sex dyads and were asked to talk to one another once a week for half-hour periods. The unstructured conversations were tape-recorded and questionnaires were administered to the subjects in separate rooms immediately following each interaction. The questionnaire measured the variables of uncertainty, affective reactions, trust, forecasting (future-oriented assessments of the relationship by individuals), and attraction. Five repeated-measures trend analyses were employed to test for changes in the individiual variables over time. The results indicated that uncertainty decreased over time, both trust and attraction increased over time, and forecasting and affective reactions became more positive over time. The results yielded preliminary support for distinct phases of acquainting as follows: (1) uncertainty, (2) exploratory effect, (3) interpersonal growth, and (4) interpersonal stability. (Tables of analyses results and figures illustrating the acquainting path are appended.) (HTH)