misgeneralize

English

Alternative forms

• misgeneralise

Etymology

From mis- +‎ generalize.

Verb

misgeneralize (third-person singular simple present misgeneralizes, present participle misgeneralizing, simple past and past participle misgeneralized)

1. To make an incorrect generalization.
   • 1984, Andrew Garrod, Perspectives on Teaching, Learning and Development, page 482:

     These programs may differ substantially, however, when examined in the light of their effects on the thought processes used to add and subtract, and of the likelihood that students will misinterpret or misgeneralize the principles implicit in the curriculum activities.

   • 1995, Virginia Yip, Interlanguage and Learnability: From Chinese to English, page 17:

     The structure [noun+of+ noun] is both exemplified in English such as the arm of the chair and in Spanish ([noun+de+ noun] being the unmarked construction for possessive), hence the potential for the Spanish speaker to misgeneralize the Spanish [noun+de+ noun] in the L2 input and to transfer the structure on the basis of similarity.

   • 2005, Damian Conway, Perl Best Practices:

     That's not to say that developers who use the class won't still misgeneralize the getting-vs-storing axiom.

   • 2014, Tamar Szabo Gendler, Thought Experiment: On the Powers and Limits of Imaginary Cases, page 1970:

     Thinking about the case in this way sheds new light on the errors of those who misgeneralize on its basis.