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Verbal·Craft and Structure·Cross-Text Connections
hard
Text 1
Studies contributing to the body of evidence that people generally enjoy socializing have routinely focused on interactions in ongoing relationships (from close confidants to neighbors), but experiments led by psychologist Selin Salman-Engin and colleagues have demonstrated the benefit of making connections with strangers. Greater positive affect was reported by participants in their study who warmly thanked a shuttle driver than by those who didn’t speak to the driver.

Text 2
Social relations research commonly draws on a model that centers an individual within three concentric circles. The innermost circle holds one’s strongest ties (e.g., a treasured friend), the next holds close but less important ties (e.g., a teammate), and the outermost holds weak ties (those more distant but important enough to be counted as part of one’s network).
Based on the texts, what would Salman-Engin and colleagues (Text 1) most likely say about the discussion of the model in Text 2?
A
It emphasizes distinctions among types of close connections that aren’t adequately represented in social relations research, since most studies categorize relationships as either close or casual.
B
It reflects an overemphasis on relationship longevity in researchers’ evaluations of the relative importance of various connections in an individual’s social network.
C
It underscores that most research on social interactions fails to capture a category of connection that has the capacity to contribute positively to individuals’ sense of well-being.
D
It explains researchers’ observations that individuals typically expect interactions with familiar people to be more positive than their interactions with unfamiliar people would be.