Which concept is described as the model that places emphasis on the buffering effect of social networks against stress?

• A. Coping resources model
• B. Social-supports model
• C. Perceived danger
• D. Actual danger

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is how social networks can lessen the impact of stress through support from others. The best answer is the social-supports model because it centers on the buffering role of relationships—emotional, informational, and practical aid from others that helps people cope with stress and reduces its negative effects on well-being. This model explains why having reliable networks around you can dampen psychological distress and even physiological stress responses when facing challenges.

Coping resources describes individual tools a person uses to cope, which can be internal or personal but doesn’t specifically foreground the protective power of social connections. Perceived danger and actual danger refer to how threatening a situation feels versus how dangerous it actually is, not to how networks buffer stress.