Overgeneralized: meaning, definitions and examples
📊
overgeneralized
[ oʊvərˈdʒɛnəraɪzd ]
psychology usage
To overgeneralize means to draw a conclusion about a general class based on limited or insufficient evidence. This cognitive distortion can lead to erroneous beliefs and stereotypes, as it often involves applying past experiences to new situations without justification.
Synonyms
abstract, extrapolate, generalize, oversimplify.
Examples of usage
- She overgeneralized his behavior to suggest all men are untrustworthy.
- His overgeneralized thoughts about failure hindered his motivation to try new things.
- The teacher warned against overgeneralizing based on one student's performance.
Translations
Translations of the word "overgeneralized" in other languages:
🇵🇹 supergeneralizado
🇮🇳 अधिक सामान्यीकृत
🇩🇪 übergeneralisiert
🇮🇩 overgeneralized
🇺🇦 надмірно узагальнений
🇵🇱 nadmiernie uogólniony
🇯🇵 過度一般化された
🇫🇷 surgénéralisé
🇪🇸 sobregeneralizado
🇹🇷 aşırı genelleştirilmiş
🇰🇷 과도하게 일반화된
🇸🇦 مبالغ فيه في التعميم
🇨🇿 přehnaně zobecněný
🇸🇰 prehnane zovšeobecnený
🇨🇳 过度概括的
🇸🇮 prekomerno posplošen
🇮🇸 ofurhagnandi
🇰🇿 артық жалпыластыру
🇬🇪 მეტად ზოგადი
🇦🇿 həddindən artıq ümumiləşdirilmiş
🇲🇽 sobregeneralizado
Etymology
The word 'overgeneralized' stems from the prefix 'over-', implying excess or too much, combined with the verb 'generalize', which originates from the Latin 'generalis', meaning 'belonging to a genus or kind'. The process of generalization itself has been a crucial part of human cognition, allowing us to form categories and make predictions. However, the prefix 'over-' indicates that this action has been taken too far, leading to inaccurate conclusions. The term gained prominence in psychological discourse during the late 20th century, especially as cognitive psychology began to spotlight the errors in judgment that individuals often make. Overgeneralization can occur in various areas, including social interactions, academic assessments, and personal theories about the world, often resulting in cognitive biases that skew an individual's perception of reality.