Question

Psychologists urge users to remember that social media rarely reflects the full complexity of real life. Influencers often _____________________ a carefully curated online persona, which can _____________________ unrealistic standards and occasionally _____________________ negative self-comparisons amongst their followers.

• A. profess; inspire; release
• B. advocate; perpetuate; stimulate
• C. endorse; foster; provoke
• D. maintain; generate; trigger

Hint:

In sentence completion, look for the option that is not just plausible, but the most precise and idiomatic. Words commonly used in a specific field (like "trigger" in psychology) are often a clue to the correct answer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This sentence completion requires selecting three verbs that accurately describe the actions and consequences of influencers' online personas.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze the blanks in context:

Blank 1: Describes what influencers do with their online persona. "Maintain" fits perfectly, as a persona is something that is kept up over time. "Profess," "advocate," and "endorse" are plausible but "maintain" is the most direct fit for "persona."
Blank 2: Describes what the persona does with unrealistic standards. "Generate" (create) or "perpetuate" (cause to continue) would fit. The persona creates or gives rise to these standards.
Blank 3: Describes what the persona does with negative self-comparisons. "Trigger" (cause an event or situation to happen) is an excellent choice, as seeing a curated life can trigger feelings of inadequacy in others. "Provoke" is also a good fit.
Now let's look at the options as complete sets:

(1) profess; inspire; release: "Release comparisons" is not idiomatic.
(2) advocate; perpetuate; stimulate: "Advocate a persona" is slightly odd. "Stimulate comparisons" is possible but "trigger" is stronger.
(3) endorse; foster; provoke: "Foster unrealistic standards" and "provoke comparisons" works well. "Endorse a persona" is also good. This is a strong contender.
(4) maintain; generate; trigger: "Maintain a persona," "generate unrealistic standards," and "trigger negative self-comparisons." All three words are precise, idiomatic, and fit the psychological context of the sentence perfectly.
Comparing (3) and (4), the set in (4) offers slightly more precise vocabulary for the entire sequence of actions and consequences. "Maintain" is better than "endorse" for a persona, and "generate" and "trigger" are very specific and common terms in this context.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct words are maintain; generate; trigger.