Hasty+Generalization

Hasty Generalization is a fallacy committed when a person draws a conclusion about a population based on a sample that is not large enough.Since Hasty Generalization is committed when the sample is to small, it is important to have samples that are large enough when making a generalization.People often commit Hasty Generalizations because of bias or prejudice. People also commonly commit Hasty Generalizations because of laziness or sloppiness. A Hasty Generalization, like any fallacy, might have a true conclusion. A fallacy in which a conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence. A Hasty Generalization always proceeds from the particular to the general. A hasty Generalization is also a broad claim based on too limited evidence. Hasty Generalization has many examples.

Examples of Hasty Generalization

1. Kevin saw a pro basketball player playing in adidas sneakers and concludes that all basketball players play in adidas sneakers.

The speaker generalizes all pro basketball players are like Kevin, which is a single person who can't represent all pro basketball players.
2. A boy saw a fat person eating a hotdog and concludes that all Fat people eat hotdogs.

The speaker generalizes that all Fat people eat hotdogs, who is one person and can't really represent all fat people.

3. Sam is riding her bike in her home town maine, minding her own business. A station wagon comes up behind her and the driver starts beeping his horn and then tries to force her off the road. As he goes by, the driver yells "get on the sidewalk where you belong!" Sam sees that the car has ohio plates and concludes that all ohio drivers are jerks.

This example here generalizes that any car with ohio plates are basically just all jerks.