Social networking is a powerful tool, as most of us know. But many people fail to harness the true power of social networks because they misunderstand how to build a social network or because they're unaware of what kind of social network they need to build. Popular images of networking contribute to these networking mistakes. To test your knowledge of networking, take this quiz:

True or False: "Social networking" refers just to business-related activities.

False: Social networks play a critical role not only in business success, but also in our lives. They play a major role in combatting stress, they help us juggle work and family, they can even have a tremendous effect on our children's academic success.

True or False: The quality of your social network can have a significant effect on your chances of getting a promotion.

True: Stanford University reserachers have shown that social networks can help you move up in an organization. And it's not just the "bridging ties" that matter, but also your close relationships to coworkers.

True or False: If you're looking for a job, your close friends and family are the ones who are most likely to help you out. After all, they're the ones who care about you most.

False: Although your close friends and family might care the most, they're much less likely than your weaker ties--your friends-of-friends and acquaintances--to be able to provide the information that can help you land a new position.

True or False: The quality of your social network affects your ability to prepare for and recover from a disaster.

True: Our research on Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina shows clearly that the better your social network is prior to a disaster, the more likely you are to get help from that social network after a disaster. And the more support you receive from network members, the less likely you are to suffer depression after the event.

True or False: The quality of your social network can affect your health as much as smoking and other key health risk factors, according to a leading health researcher.

True. Social isolation--having a network that is too small or doesn't offer the support you need--can have a major impact on your health.

True or False: The best social network is one that provides as many links as possible to highly-placed people.

False: Being connected to highly-placed people can be very important for business success. But it's also important to be linked to people close to your level--particularly co-workers. That can have a big effect on job satisfaction and mobility, as our reserach and that of others shows.

True or False: Successful social networking means going to as many networking events and civic association meetings as possible.

False: This advice is misguided on two fronts. First, it's not about hitting as many events as possible, it's about building relationships. Second, networking events and civic associations can provide great avenues for buiding the business sector of your network, but they don't help with the personal sector. You need a different strategy to build that important part of your network.

So, how did you do on the networking quiz? If you found out some new information, you're not alone. To learn more about social networking and how you can build the network that will take you to the top and help you survive the ride, check out some of the resources we've listed below.