Final answer:
Students may selectively learn certain techniques over others due to selective bias, learning preferences, cognitive limitations, and information overload such as in the Information Age, where the brain needs to filter knowledge to prevent being overwhelmed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the reasons why students might selectively learn only certain techniques and not all, offering options including selective bias, learning preferences, cognitive limitations, and information overload. The context of the question relates to cognitive processes that influence learning and decision-making. Each of these options can play a role in why a student might focus on certain information over others.
Selective bias suggests a tendency to focus on one particular piece of information when making decisions or problem-solving. Learning preferences indicate that individuals choose to learn in ways that best suit their style or abilities. Cognitive limitations refer to the natural capacity limits of the human brain to process and retain information. Lastly, information overload is a state whereby the amount of information available exceeds one's ability to process it effectively, leading to overwhelmed decision-making and selective retention of information.
In the context of the Information Age, information overload is particularly relevant. With the vast amount of data and decisions we face daily, the brain must filter and manage knowledge to prevent overload. This often results in the necessity to selectively learn techniques or pieces of information. Moreover, other cognitive biases such as the confirmation bias reflect our inclination to lean on information that reinforces our pre-existing beliefs, which again can lead to selective learning.