Jiao-long and jing-sheng are foreign exchange students from shanghai. they are pursuing their phds in cultural studies at new york university. during dinner with their american friends out at a restaurant, they prefer sitting beside each other rather than opposite each other. this behavior is a characteristic of which category of culture?

I believe the answer is: High-Contact culture
In high-contact culture, it is customary for each members of social group to maintain a small distance between them when they interact with another.
Because of this, when they're communicating while they're sitting, they're most likely seated next to each other (where their shoulders could touch) rather than across each other.