For the error common in language-learning, see Errors in early word use.
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Hasty generalization is the fallacy of examining just one or very few examples or studying a single case and generalizing that to be representative of the whole class of objects or phenomena.įaulty generalization is also a mode of thinking that takes the experiences of one person or one group, and incorrectly extends it to another. Such a generalization proceeds from a premise about a sample (often unrepresentative or biased), to a conclusion about the population itself. Therefore, the proportion Q of the population has attribute A. The proportion Q of the sample has attribute A. Ī faulty generalization often follows the following format: The essence of this inductive fallacy lies on the overestimation of an argument based on insufficiently-large samples under an implied margin or error. Unlike fallacies of relevance, in fallacies of defective induction, the premises are related to the conclusions, yet only weakly buttress the conclusions, hence a faulty generalization is produced. If one sees only white swans, one may suspect that all swans are white.Įxpressed in more precise philosophical language, a fallacy of defective induction is a conclusion that has been made on the basis of weak premises, or one which is not justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence.If one meets a rude person from a given country X, one may suspect that most people in country X are rude.For example, one may generalize about all people or all members of a group, based on what one knows about just one or a few people:
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It is an example of jumping to conclusions. It is similar to a proof by example in mathematics. The cold weather must be causing my headache.Conclusion made on the basis of one or few instances of a phenomenonĪ faulty generalization is an informal fallacy wherein a conclusion is drawn about all or many instances of a phenomenon on the basis of one or a few instances of that phenomenon. The temperature has dropped this morning, and I also have a headache. She yelled at him for causing her to spill her juice.Ĩ. Katie's little brother laughed at the same time that Katie spilled her juice. Willie decides to wear blue socks to every football practice.ħ. Willie wore blue socks to football practice, and he did not drop the ball a single time. Lois and Jan did a "snow dance" one afternoon, and it snowed that night. Kevin concluded that his dog must have infected him with something.ĥ. Kevin's dog scratched his leg, and that night he had a fever. I can't believe that the principal would do that! (In reality the pep rally was cancelled because of a required standardized test.)Ĥ. The football team lost last week, and now this week's pep rally is cancelled. My sneeze did something to make the power go off.ģ. I sneezed at the same time the power went off. We have not lost a game since I got my lucky shoes!Ģ. Our soccer team was losing until I bought new shoes.