Final answer:
I believed multitasking was effective until cognitive psychology research revealed that it leads to inefficiencies, prompting me to change my work habits and encouraging me to challenge my beliefs with empirical evidence.
Step-by-step explanation:
One personal situation where my beliefs were challenged involved the misconceived notion of multitasking. I strongly believed that I was more productive when I juggled multiple tasks simultaneously. Upon reading about task-switching inefficiencies in cognitive psychology, I learned that true multitasking is mostly a myth. It became apparent that when I thought I was multitasking, I was actually switching tasks rapidly, leading to decreased efficiency and increased errors.
This revelation deeply affected me. I started to re-evaluate my study habits and workspace organization, leading to a more focused approach to tasks.
The experience taught me the importance of scrutinizing my beliefs against empirical evidence, ultimately enhancing my personal effectiveness and academic performance. It was a profound lesson in the fact that personal beliefs can sometimes be misguided despite being widely accepted or comforting.