Quiz — Chapter 20: Friendship, Social Networks, and Belonging

25 questions. Multiple choice unless otherwise noted. Answer key at the end.

1. The Harvard Study of Adult Development's most significant finding regarding late-life health and happiness was:

a) Career success and social class were the strongest predictors b) Genetics and childhood health were the strongest predictors c) Quality of close relationships was the strongest predictor — stronger than wealth, IQ, or career success d) Physical exercise and diet were the strongest predictors

2. Dunbar's Number (approximately 150) refers to:

a) The optimal size of a friendship network for wellbeing b) The upper limit of stable relationships the human brain can maintain c) The number of social media connections associated with reduced loneliness d) The average number of lifetime friendships reported by adults

3. Research by Jeffrey Hall found that moving from acquaintance to close friendship requires approximately:

a) 10–20 hours of interaction b) 50 hours to casual friend; approximately 200 hours to close friend c) 100 hours of interaction d) The time required varies entirely by individual; no consistent estimate is possible

4. The "propinquity effect" predicts that friendship formation is strongly influenced by:

a) Similarity in values and personality b) Physical proximity and repeated exposure c) Physical attractiveness d) Reciprocal disclosure

5. Which of the following is NOT listed as one of the five primary functions of friendship in the chapter?

a) Companionship b) Emotional support c) Conflict resolution d) Social identity

6. The chapter describes the most common reason adult friendships end as:

a) Conflict that is not repaired b) Value divergence that produces incompatibility c) Geographic separation d) Neglect — gradual attenuation of contact until the friendship exists primarily in memory

7. According to John Cacioppo's research, loneliness:

a) Is equivalent to social isolation — people who are alone are lonely b) Activates threat-detection brain circuits and is associated with health outcomes comparable to smoking c) Affects psychological wellbeing but not physical health outcomes d) Is primarily a trait that varies little within individuals over time

8. Cacioppo's finding that "loneliness is contagious" means:

a) People avoid interacting with lonely individuals b) Loneliness spreads through social networks, with peripheral members' loneliness predicting increased loneliness in their connections c) Loneliness is learned from lonely caregivers in childhood d) Being around lonely people causes temporary feelings of loneliness

9. Leary's "sociometer theory" proposes that self-esteem is:

a) A stable trait determined primarily by early childhood experience b) A real-time gauge of one's current level of social inclusion and belonging c) The cognitive result of successful achievement d) Primarily determined by genetic factors

10. Baumeister and Leary's "need to belong" theory proposes that:

a) Belonging needs are universal but vary significantly by culture b) The need to belong is a fundamental human motivation comparable to basic physical needs c) The need to belong is strongest in childhood and diminishes in adulthood d) People need belonging primarily from one or two close relationships

11. Brown's distinction between "belonging" and "fitting in" is:

a) Belonging is provided by family; fitting in is the social achievement of peer groups b) Belonging means being accepted as you are; fitting in means changing yourself to be accepted c) Belonging requires active effort; fitting in happens naturally d) Belonging is experienced as closeness; fitting in is experienced as competence

12. The chapter identifies the primary structural obstacle to adult friendship formation as:

a) Reduced openness to new people as we age b) Competition from romantic relationships c) Loss of the institutional settings that provided automatic repeated contact in childhood and adolescence d) Increased social anxiety in adulthood

13. Research by Nicholas Epley found that adults systematically:

a) Overestimate how much others want to be approached and underestimate the awkwardness of initiation b) Underestimate how much others want to be approached and overestimate the awkwardness of initiation c) Accurately estimate others' receptiveness but lack motivation to initiate d) Underestimate the time required for friendship formation

14. Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone research documented:

a) The positive effects of team sports on friendship formation b) The long-term decline in civic and social participation across American adults c) The failure of online community to substitute for in-person connection d) The relationship between suburban sprawl and political polarization

15. "Passive social media use" is distinguished from "active social media use" in that:

a) Passive use involves creating content; active use involves consuming it b) Passive use (scrolling without interacting) is associated with increased loneliness; active use (genuine conversation) provides some friendship benefits c) Passive use involves one platform; active use involves multiple d) There is no research distinction between the two

16. The research on friendship maintenance consistently identifies which of the following as most important for sustaining friendships over time?

a) Resolving all conflicts immediately and completely b) Regular scheduled social events c) Consistent contact and reciprocal investment in each other's lives d) Geographic proximity

17. In the context of adult friendship formation, the chapter recommends the strategy of:

a) Directly pursuing individuals you want to befriend b) Creating or joining structures that provide repeated, contextual contact c) Disclosing vulnerability immediately to accelerate the friendship process d) Finding one close friendship and investing in it deeply rather than building a network

18. Cacioppo's research found that perceived loneliness was more predictive of health outcomes than:

a) The objective number of social contacts b) The frequency of social interaction c) Relationship conflict d) Social media use

19. Which of the following best describes the relationship between introversion and the need for social connection?

a) Introverts genuinely need less social connection than extroverts b) Introversion describes preference for energy restoration (solitude), not freedom from the need for connection c) Introverts prefer digital connection; extroverts prefer in-person connection d) The loneliness research applies primarily to extroverts

20. The "friendship attenuation" concept describes:

a) The gradual decline of friendship through drift — neither party reaching out until the connection exists primarily in memory b) The process by which close friendships become less emotionally intense over time c) The conflict that precedes formal friendship ending d) The replacement of older friendships with newer, more relevant ones

21. In Dunbar's nested social network structure, the "sympathy group" (approximately 15) consists of:

a) Close friends who are available for casual interaction b) Close friends and family whose wellbeing you actively care about and see regularly c) All people whose loss would affect you emotionally d) The most intimate layer — people called first in a crisis

22. The Harvard Study's finding that relationship quality at midlife predicted the rate of cognitive decline in later decades is significant because it suggests:

a) Cognitive stimulation through social interaction prevents decline b) The protective effects of relationships extend across decades, not just years c) Social activities are as protective as physical exercise d) Family relationships are more protective than friendships for cognitive health

23. According to Rawlins' research on friendship maintenance, "assurance" involves:

a) Providing consistent practical support b) Explicit, periodic expression that the friendship matters and affirming its importance c) Reliable scheduling of regular contact d) Openness to the friend's community and social network

24. The chapter identifies "history friends" as a distinct friendship type. Their primary value is:

a) Providing practical advice based on long experience b) Offering social connection in the same geographic community c) Carrying a long shared narrative that provides continuity of identity d) Providing the most intensive emotional support available

25. Research on transitional life periods (e.g., moving cities, major career changes, having children) and friendship suggests:

a) Major transitions uniformly strengthen friendships through shared experience b) Transitions often strain existing friendships when developmental divergence occurs between friends c) Online communication protects friendships across transitions d) Friendships formed during transitions are more durable than those formed during stable periods

Answer Key