Overgeneralization and Stereotyping
Generalizing is the mental activity by which we draw broad conclusions
from particular experiences. A child hears one dog bark and concludes
that barking is characteristic of dogs. This generalization is true, barkless Basenjis notwithstanding. When Mommy says, “Be careful of that pencil,it can poke your eye out,” the child understands, again rightly, that all pencils have that capacity. As these modest examples suggest, generalizing is not only natural but indispensable to learning. We never see things in general—that is, all dogs, all pencils, all mountains, all rivers, all teachers, or all anything else. Rather, we see particular members of a general class—individually or in groups—and generalize from them.
过度总结和墨守成规
概括是种从特殊的经验总结出广泛结论的心理活动。一个孩子听见一只狗叫就得出吠叫是狗的特性这个结论。这个概括是对的，除了不叫的巴新吉之外。当母亲说：“小心铅笔，它们可能戳伤你的眼睛。”孩子再一次正确的理解了所有铅笔都具有这种性能。正如这些寻常的例子显示的，概括不仅是自然地而且在学习中也是必不可少的。我们从来没有看见一般的事物——即是，所有的狗，所有的铅笔，所有的山，所有河流，所有老师，或者所有其他事。而是，我们看见普遍种类特殊的成员——个人或小组——并且概括他们。
