Claim: We can usually learn much more from people whose views we share than from those whose views contradict our own.

Reason: Disagreement can cause stress and inhibit learning.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based.

Although discussing ideas with someone who disagrees with you may elicit stress in an individual, in certain circumstances you can learn more from an individual who has contradicting views than your own. Discussing contradictory views can propel learning through creating friendly opposing research on a topic, and force you to learn about a topic through another's vantage point which could enhance your understanding of the topic as a whole. However, there may be times in which polemic discussion of views serves to inhibit ones motivation to learn more about a certain topic.

Firstly, friendly discourse about contradictory views can propel the one to pursue knowledge on a given topic. For example, there is debate in neuropsychology about the role of the dorsal and ventral pathways. One theory is that they work separately, the dorsal onlhy for processing visuospatial information (the where pathway) and the ventral only for processing object recogntion of visual information (the what pathway). An opposing view is that the dorsal and ventral pathways are a lot more connecting in their processing of both forms of information than originally proposed. Through this academic disagreement, researchers have designed many studies to test one side or another of these opposing theories, each one expanding what is already known about the neural patterns that provide humans with where and what visual information.

Secondly, discussing contradictory views can force an individual to see a topic from a vantage point they may have never considered before. An example of this would be discussing how race and gender may affect one's professional success. As someone who is white and from a upper-middle class family, I have lived a life with a certain amount of priviledge and may not be aware of the struggles of someone who is a person of colour from a low-income family. My view of the world and opportunities that present themselves to me is limited by way of how society treats me due to my race and socio-economic background. To have a discussion with someone of a different race, and explore their contradictory life experience allows me to learn more about my role in society, as well as teaches me to be a better ally to those who have lived without my priviledge.

However, discussion of contradictory views with another person can lead to a certain amount of stress when the discussion itself is polemic rather than focused on the topic of discussion. Using my previous example, if an individual was to create a body of research in which they tested the connection between the dorsal and ventral pathways functioning and a person who believes that they function separately states that the research is invalid due to the researcher only holding a bachelor's degree, this may cause the researcher a great deal of stress. It may decrease their confidence and serve as deterrent for the researcher to pursue this topic any further, or research this topic in graduate school, despite the fact they may have elucidated a novel aspect of neural functioning.

In conclusion, friendly discourse can motivate people to create studies in which to prove opposing sides on the same topic, increasing what is known about the topic. As well, it can give you a different vantage point and help one learn about a topic from a point of view not explored before