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.