By: Samantha Hammer

&

Trevor Baise

Defined

• Hasty Generalization – a conclusion formed without evidence, often the product of an emotional reaction.

• A hasty generalization involves an over-reaction to one occurrence that grafted onto the entire group.  It is the reverse of the logic used in a stereotype — a person makes a hasty generalization when he implies that all things in one group must share the traits of this one individual from the group.  The resulting conclusions become mere claims without merit.  The arguer must show evidence when connecting premises with conclusions to avoid making this error.

• Basically saying that if one member of a group exhibits certain traits then all members of that group must exhibit that trait.

• Ex. I am a human. I have blond hair. Humans have blond hair.

• This is obviously not true as you are all humans yet not all of you have blond hair.

POP Culture Example

• "Hasty Generalization-YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Nokia. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMzufTogzl0

• In this video hasty generalization is used in the reasoning of… Shakira uses Nokia. Shakira is a good singer. Nokia must be a good phone company.

• It is also used in the reasoning of … This is a Shakira concert. I can hear Shakira. Shakira must be here at the concert.

Ex. 1 from The Crucible

• ACT 1 pg. 172- “She ails as she must-she never waked this morning, but her eyes open and she walks, and hears naught, sees naught, and cannot eat. Her soul is taken surely.” –Mrs. Putnam

• Mrs. Putnam generalizes that because her daughter ails as she does, her soul must have been taken.

Ex. 2 from The Crucible

• ACT 1 pg. 189- “I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” –Abigail

• The adults generalize that because Abigail admits that she was with the devil she must know all the others who were with him as well. They never question whether she is lying because at first she is only naming the people the village already shuns.

Works Cited

• “Logic Me This: Hasty Generalization - Teen Skepchick." Teen Skepchick - The Future of Skepticism. Vectors Community WordPress Theme, 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2012

• "Hasty Generalization." KsuWeb Home Page. Mr. Hagin, 27 Nov. 2002. Web. 20 Feb.