Ritika and Arjun, both Class 12 students in Pune, did badly in their first pre-board test. Arjun was sure he would fail the board examination too. He stopped studying and dropped his plan of applying to engineering colleges. Ritika told herself she could still turn things around. She made a revision timetable and asked her teacher to go over her weak topics. Arjun has more than 200 friends from coaching classes and social media, and he spends hours each day keeping up with them. Ritika is close to her parents and two friends, and she is sure they care about her and value her.
A counsellor feels that Ritika is better placed than Arjun for health and well-being. Which of the following statements supports her view?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Perceived support is positively related to well-being, while the size of the social network is unrelated to it
Option (1) The size of the social network is negatively related to well-being, while perceived support is unrelated to it — Incorrect. Both parts are wrong. Perceived support is the part that helps well-being, and the size of the network has no link to it either way.
Option (2) Perceived support is positively related to well-being, while the size of the social network is negatively related to it — Incorrect. The first half is right, but the second is reversed into harm. A large network takes much time and effort to keep up, and for that reason its size is unrelated to well-being.
Option (3) Perceived support is positively related to well-being, while the size of the social network is unrelated to it — Correct. Ritika has a few people she can rely on, so her perceived support, the quality of support, is high. This is positively related to well-being. Arjun's 200 contacts are a large social network, the quantity of support, which is unrelated to well-being.
Option (4) Perceived support and the size of the social network are both positively related to well-being, the first more strongly — Incorrect. Only the quality of support is positively related to well-being. The size of the network shows no such link, weak or strong.
NCERT (2026-27): “Life Skills … |