Week 16 – Post 3: Generalizing & Representative Samples

After reading chapter fourteen, I have a much greater understanding of generalization. According to Epstein, “We are generalizing if we conclude a claim about a group, the population, from a claim about some part of it, the sample. To generalize is to make an argument.” The problem with generalizing is that certain people are not representative of an entire group that is otherwise very similar. When coming up with samples it is very important to insure that each subgroup is represented in the population as a whole. In Critical Thinking, Epstein also states, “A sample is representative if no one subgroup of the whole population is represented more than its proportion in the population.” If the sample favors one subgroup more than the others, it is said to be a biased sample. Representative samples are important when gaining population opinions. For instance, if mostly women were asked if abortions were ethical, the statistics of this study would be biased. However, if men and women of many ethical backgrounds were asked the same question, the study would be much more representative of the general opinion of the population.