Ron would like to meet a woman and develop a romantic relationship. He joins several clubs at his college so he can meet people, especially potential romantic partners. He is in the __________ phase.

A) activation
B) persistence
C) intensity
D) motivation

Ron is in the activation phase, which is characterized by actively seeking out potential partners and initiating contact with them. This phase comes before the persistence phase, where individuals continue to pursue a relationship with a specific person, and before the intensity phase, where feelings of love and attachment deepen. The motivation phase refers to the underlying reasons and goals for seeking a relationship, which is not specified in the scenario.