Question

as discussed in the textbook, various studies in the past have shown that there are ____ degrees of separation between any two people in the world. social media would be expected to __ the number of degrees of separation, making the world ____.

5 to 7; reduce; \smaller\
5 to 7; raise; \bigger\
8 to 10; raise; \bigger\
8 to 10; reduce; \bigger\

Explanation:

Analyze the classic degrees of separation studies

Historically, studies such as Stanley Milgram's small-world experiment established that there are approximately 6 degrees of separation (typically generalized as "5 to 7") between any two people in the world.

Evaluate the impact of social media

Social media platforms connect people globally with greater ease, which is expected to reduce the number of degrees of separation, thereby making the world feel "smaller."

Match with the given options

Combining these findings:

• The historical number of degrees of separation is "5 to 7".
• Social media is expected to "reduce" this number.
• This reduction makes the world feel "smaller".

This matches the first option: "5 to 7; reduce; "smaller"".

Answer:

• (A) 5 to 7; reduce; "smaller" (Correct answer)
• (B) 5 to 7; raise; "bigger"
• (C) 8 to 10; raise; "bigger"
• (D) 8 to 10; reduce; "bigger"