• Research shows that higher income was associated with larger social networks, but only among those who believed that people get ahead by their own talents and hard work.
• For those who believed that luck or help was a main factor of success, wealth was not associated with network size.
• Those who believed that social status is an indicator of someone's quality caused high-status people to network more than low-status people. This is because high-status people believe they offer more value and don't feel they're taking advantage.

The prevailing wisdom about how social networks are built suggests that people's networks are formed mainly by forces outside of their control, such as the neighbourhood they grew up in, schools they attended, or others' interest in networking with them.

While this is true,...