Question

sahra, who thought that poetry was useless when she was in high school, ends up majoring in math at michigan, hanging out with a lot of other stem majors, and thinking poetry is even more useless. remi, who didn't like math in high school, ends up majoring in english at michigan, hanging out with a lot of other humanities majors, and liking math even less. this is most clearly an example of:

Answer 1

The example illustrates confirmation bias, showing how students' majors and social circles can reinforce their pre-existing preferences toward other disciplines. University education can influence attitudes and the broadening of perspectives while specializing may further entrench existing opinions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described is an example of how students may reinforce their pre-existing preferences and biases based on their choice of major and social group—a concept known as confirmation bias. Sahra and Remi's experiences at the university, where they majored in fields congruent with their prior interests and spent time with peers who shared similar attitudes, likely strengthened their original dislike for subjects outside their chosen fields.

This phenomenon underscores the impact of university-level education and the social environment on students' attitudes toward different disciplines. While specializing in a field such as math or English can deepen expertise and career prospects in that area, it may also further entrench a student's existing opinions about the value of other disciplines, as seen with Sahra and Remi's views on poetry and math, respectively.

Engaging with diverse subjects, however, can broaden one's perspective and understanding, as in the case of the 'math geek' student who gained an appreciation for literature through mathematical poetry. This exemplifies the broader education mission to encourage students to examine various aspects of knowledge and life, fulfilling the sentiment behind Socrates's aphorism, "The unexamined life is not worth living."