Overgeneralization

Overgeneralization occurs when conclusions drawn from a specific study, sample, or dataset are unjustifiably extended to broader populations, settings, or conditions without sufficient evidence.

• Applying results from a small, non-representative, or highly selective sample to the general population
• Assuming findings from one disease, subtype, or demographic are valid for all others
• Ignoring contextual limitations such as duration, comorbidities, or clinical setting

• Claiming that a treatment tested in 40 young adults is effective “for all tinnitus patients”
• Generalizing results from a single center or region to global clinical practice
• Extending short-term outcome improvements to long-term prognoses without follow-up data

• Leads to misapplication of therapies in inappropriate patients
• Undermines external validity (generalizability) of clinical research
• Contributes to misleading clinical guidelines or practice changes based on insufficient scope

• Small or homogeneous sample size with broad conclusions
• Lack of subgroup analysis or demographic stratification
• Absence of discussion on limitations or generalizability

• External Validity
• Selection Bias
• Rhetorical Inflation
• Conceptual Ambiguity

• How to critically read a scientific article
• Principles of Evidence-Based Medicine