Legal Technique and Logic

2nd Sem, S.Y. 2015-2016

Sundays, 3-5pm

Group VII

Atty. David Ballesteros

Flores, Maria Almira

Yepes Jr., Leonardo
Zamora, Joice

Hasty Generalization
A fallacy committed when a conclusion is drawn about a population based
on a sample that is not large enough1.
A broad claim based on too-limited evidence. The fallacy here appears to

be one of overlooking special circumstances indicating qualifications

that may need to be attached to a generalization, or considered in
matching a generalization to a specific case. In statistics, this is a
violation of good reasoning in what is known as sampling theory 2.
Variations: argument from small numbers, statistics of small numbers,
insufficient statistics, unrepresentative sample [form of], argument by
generalization, faulty generalization, hasty conclusion [form of], inductive
generalization, insufficient sample, lonely fact fallacy, over generalization,
converse accident, biased generalization, jumping to a conclusion, fallacy of
neglecting qualifications (secundum quid)
Hasty generalization is a fallacy of defective induction and it always
proceeds from the particular to the general. It is the reverse of sweeping
generalization which applies a general rule to a specific case broadly.

Reason why this should be avoided: Not only are the conclusions
unwarranted, but this fallacy usually results to stereotyping - that is, a person
or event is treated as typical of a whole class. In politics, hasty
1

Kaplan University Writing Center, https://kucampus.kaplan.edu.

Irving M. Copi and Carl Cohen, Introduction to Logic, 9th ed., New York, Macmillan, 1994.

generalizations are almost entirely responsible for polarizing people

whose political opinions aren't all that different. It makes it easy for
people to believe that everybody on the opposing side is unified in
opposing their beliefs, but this is never actually true.

Logical Form3:
Sample S is taken from population P.
Sample S is a very small part of population P.
Conclusion C is drawn from sample S.

Example #1:
My father smoked four packs of cigarettes a day since age fourteen and
lived until age sixty-nine. Therefore, smoking really cant be that bad for
you.
Reason why this is fallacious: It is extremely unreasonable (and
dangerous) to draw a universal conclusion about the health risks of smoking
by the case study of one man.

Example #2:
Four out of five dentists recommend Happy Glossy Smiley toothpaste
brand. Therefore, it must be great.
Explanation: It turns out that only five dentists were actually asked. When a
random sampling of 1000 dentists were polled, only 20% actually
recommended the brand. The four out of five result was not necessarily a
biased sample or a dishonest survey, it just happened to be a statistical
anomaly common among small samples.

Example #3:
My Iranian neighbour is a real grouch. Iranians are grouches.
3

Bennett, Bo. Logically Fallacious, 2000.

Explanation: This argument takes an individual case of a Iranian, and draws

a general rule from it, assuming that all Iranians are like the neighbour. The
conclusion that it reaches hasnt been demonstrated, because it may well be
that the neighbour is not a typical Iranian, and that the conclusion drawn is
false.

It is not uncommon for an arguer to draw a conclusion or generalization

based on only a few instances of a phenomenon. In fact, a generalization is

often drawn from a single piece of supporting data, an act that might be
described as committing the fallacy of the lonely fact.
Some areas of inquiry have quite sophisticated guidelines for determining
the sufficiency of a sample, such as in voter preference samples or television
viewing samples. In many areas, however, there are no such guidelines to
assist us in determining what would be sufficient grounds for the truth of a
particular conclusion4.

Exception: When statistics of a larger population are not available, and a

decision must be made or opinion formed if the small sample size is all you
have to work with, then it is better than nothing. For example, if you are
strolling in the desert with a friend, and he goes to pet a cute snake, gets
bitten, then dies instantly, it would not be fallacious to assume the snake is
poisonous.
Tip: Dont base decisions on small sample sizes when much more reliable
data exists. Hasty generalization is a common error in reasoning,

usually because of over-reaction, being too emotional, or simply

carelessness. To avoid committing such mistakes, there is always a
need to gather enough facts and evidence from credible sources before
arriving at any conclusion5.

T. Edward Damer, Attacking Faulty Reasoning, 4th ed. Wadsworth, 2001.

Ramee Neal, Logic and Legal Reasoning: A Guide For Law Students, 2002.