Student 74

Object 1: The map of the different colleges with symbols about the aspects of the schools (Private/Public, religious, gender specific).

Credit: CollegeMaps.com

Knowledge is the most valid way to defend a claim since it is based on facts rather than uncertainty. From this, a list or image having accurate data is the most reliable. That is why my first object is a map that my mom bought for my sister and I, that has colleges shown with marks that says whether it is private or public, religious, and even if it is gender specific. The map shows general aspects of the school without further exploration into the components of the school.

Making a viewer acquire general knowledge about a college, specifically the location and general type of school it is. However, it does not include anything about the type of people that go to the school, or the programs. Ensuring an unbiased view of the schools. However, despite the fact that information is presented without sway, it is a natural human process to pull different understandings from statistical facts. Such as interpreting a fact in a negative or positive way, which connects to the key concept of interpretation. An example of this depends on personal opinion- determining if a school is nice depending on whether the weather is cold or hot or how far away it is from home. These aspects can change the way knowledge is interpreted and used when making decisions.

Object 2: Checkmark system for ranking what colleges I like best based off of the archaeology program.

Belief is a less viable option for supporting a claim, since it is generally based on personal assumptions that cannot be fully proved. Calling in question the key concept of truth and its importance. One object that represents belief is the chart I made of all the colleges that I was interested in, with checkmarks based off of how I ranked the school according to their archaeology programs. Doing so, limited my exploration into the other parts of the school that are important to applicants. This ranking system was merely based off my beliefs and expectations of how much I would enjoy the school, without having background knowledge nor personal experience on the campus to fully evaluate my opinion of the school.

Beliefs are not based on concrete details, yet is one of the most influential aspects of disagreements between people. Beliefs also cause false expectations, which tend to lead to unpredicted outcomes. Thus causing inner conflict between new knowledge and personal beliefs, which is the basis for cognitive dissonance. That is because when a wide spread belief is spread out without concrete evidence, it can cause many problems. This bias is the bandwagon bias, and tends to create misconceptions about the reality of a situation. This can be connected to the core concept of knowledge and the knower, since it explains how knowledge is created not merely through individual insight but also is influenced by multipe contrasting perspectives. This manipulation of meaning shows the effectiveness of persuasive devices such as pathos and ethos. Despite that, beliefs are still more valuable than opinions.

Object 3: Sweatshirt from my trip to Michigan University.

Opinions are the most unreliable due to their subjective nature. Opinions are generally based on personal experiences and outward beliefs. This frequently leads students to false assumptions of the school. One object to represent opinions is a shirt I got after my tour at Michigan University. This object represents the portrayal of the school versus my personal interpretation of the school based on my experience there. Prior to my visit, Michigan University was my top school based on my opinion about the archaeology program. However, after my visit the school dropped to my lowest choice. My opinion changed based off my personal experience at the school, yet there are many people who would disagree with my opinion on the institution. Furthermore, my belief in how the school would be was changed due to my own revelations. Thus showing how my belief used in my school ranking system was a poor decision factor, based on my changed opinion. If I researched the school more, then I would have viable knowledge about the foundations of the school. This information would be a strong factor in my decision process.

Since opinions are based on personal experiences and others beliefs, it can make it difficult to figure out what is the truth. Meaning that the truth gets manipulated through stories since persuasion is generally used when spreading information. Hence causing, opinions to differ from knowledge greatly due to the levels of reliability that each aspect holds.

That is why knowledge is the most reliable way to make a decision, since it is based on pure facts rather than biased insight. Connecting to the core concept of justification, the uses and meaning of these three similar ideas are easily separated and understood. Knowledge is the easiest to justify when trying to support an argument while opinions are the weakest. Judging from what knowledge, belief, and opinion are supported by shows the difference between each other, demonstrating the effectiveness of each different approach. The mindset in each aspect differ, due to the influencing factors that stem from knowledge to determine beliefs and opinions.