Have you ever considered how your ability to process information has changed over time?

Whether you’re an incoming 18-year-old student, a transfer student who is already familiar with higher education or an older student with more life experience under your belt, earning a degree is probably exposing you to not only new information but also to new people whose lives and perspectives are different from your own.

While this can be exciting, it can also be a lot to take in and may leave you feeling overwhelmed.

“The brain is an incredible organ and it doesn’t really stop developing on average until a person’s mid-20s, at least that’s what we think at this point,” said Jason Burrow-Sanchez, a professor of counseling psychology at the University of Utah. “That is pretty cool because what it tells us is that young adults are still doing things like figuring out how to make decisions, how to problem solve and how to take in new experiences.”

A critical part of adult development is learning how to talk to others. Later this semester, a new resource will be available on campus to help students, faculty and staff gain tools to foster more productive conversations. The U is working with the Constructive Dialogue Institute to provide trainings aimed at helping people with different values, beliefs and perspectives be curious and seek to understand each other.

As our brains develop, they get better at handling more complex thoughts. According to William Perry’s Theory of Cognitive Development, this includes moving through four categories of intellectual and moral development—dualism, multiplicity, relativism and commitment within relativism.

The Four Categories of Perry’s Cognitive Development Theory:

Dualism: At this stage, an individual believes that everything can be known, authorities have the answers and information or viewpoints are either completely right or wrong.

Multiplicity: A multiplistic mindset realizes that every question does not have an absolute wrong or right answer. A person at this stage recognizes that differing opinions can be equally valid.

Relativism: This mindset is achieved when an individual learns to think critically and analyze arguments using evidence and reason.

Commitment within Relativism: People at this stage seek out diverse opinions and use information from multiple sources to make decisions. They are confident in their own values, opinions and interests. They incorporate their views into decision-making while recognizing there are alternative perspectives and that their views can change.

“Recent high school graduates come to college at the dualism stage,” said Jason Ramirez, dean of students at the U. “Rarely do we see students get to multiplistic thinking in their early 20s.”

While brain development requires time and aging, expanding how we think and learning to see the validity in multiple perspectives is a skill that can be practiced. According to Ramirez, general education courses provide an important opportunity for students to connect with others whose backgrounds and interests differ from their own.

“Beyond the content of those classes helping to create a well-rounded student, the mix of people in those classes also benefits students,” Ramirez said. “You put a music major next to a math major and they likely have very different approaches. Fostering these kinds of connections for students challenges them and adds richness to their college experience.”

Opportunities like these that expose students to new ideas and experiences are an important part of brain development, said Burrow-Sanchez.

“There will be things that challenge how you think, make you think about things differently, or encourage you to have discussions. That’s all good because you’re learning,” he said. “Part of the learning process is making sure you can take in different viewpoints and determine what you do with them.”

If you want to get better at taking in different viewpoints, try things like asking genuine open-ended questions, actively listening to what the other person has to say, and then asking follow-up questions. Taking time to reflect on your interactions and what you are learning can help expand your perspective and improve the outcome of future conversations. Choosing to be curious by trying out new classes, clubs and other opportunities can help you learn more about yourself and others.

“There are so many neat things you can get exposed to in college,” said Burrow-Sanchez. “You never know where it’s going to take you.”

In addition to launching the Constructive Dialogue trainings, the Office for Student Affairs also is in the process of hiring a new campus dialogue program manager to help workshop constructive dialogue between campus groups and serve as a liaison.

“This program is about the skills it takes to understand ideas that differ from your own,” said Lori McDonald, vice president for student affairs. “Constructive dialogue is not about trying to change another person’s mind but seeking to understand them, even if you think differently. While it can be helpful amidst an election or in relationship to political disagreements, it is applicable in everything we do.”

In many ways, universities are a microcosm of society at large, Ramirez noted. Campuses can create a place where students can experiment with how they want to engage with the broader world and develop the skills they need to do this, but it’s just a piece of the journey.

“The whole notion of life-long learning isn’t just about books or subject matter,” Ramirez said. “It’s also about ourselves. We’re constantly developing and changing and maturing. We’re going to have setbacks, but we’re also going to continue to advance as we continue trying.”