Hasty generalization
From Exampleproblems
Hasty generalization, also known as "fallacy of insufficient statistics", "fallacy of insufficient sample", "fallacy of the lonely fact", "leaping to a conclusion", "hasty induction", "law of small numbers" or "secundum quid", is the logical fallacy of reaching an inductive generalization based on too little evidence.
Examples with contradictions
- "I loved the hit song, therefore I'll love the album it's on": Fallacious because the album might have one good song and lots of filler.
- "This Web site looks OK to me on my computer; therefore, it will look OK on your computer, too": Fallacious because many computers present content differently.
- "In my lifetime, there has been a leap year every fourth year; therefore, every fourth year, past, present, and future, is a leap year": Plainly untrue.
See also faulty generalization for other fallacies involving generalization.
External links and references
- Fallacy: Hasty Generalization, Michael C. Labossiere's Fallacy Tutorial Prohe:הכללה חפוזה
