what do you think about "generalization"?

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I find the term "generalization" to be very confusing. It confused me and it is not very concrete at all, at least for me. What often works for me is thinking what is behind a term. Does this term also confuse you?
I have some thoughts what "generalization" and "difficulties with generalization" are:
First of all, most, maybe all but I don't know, "aspies" (not a term I want use but people use it) find it difficult to focus on many things at once. Then we the aspies have difficulties specific situations and skills.
We often struggle with being interested in something unless we make it something personal. Sometimes we try to motivate ourselves but fail to become motivated.

When people who have difficulties with generalization of skills fail to generalize it is often because of one thing: they had a difficulty but never looked at that particular difficulty. The difficulty will still remain.
Another thing is that NTs are better at focusing on many things at once. When an NT is given an exercise it might be seen as one exercise but for an aspie the exercise might need to be broken down into three different exercices. Then after a while one can focus on puting all the skills together.
Another thing is motivation. For many aspies the issue of concentration is a big issue. Most of us need specific things to focus on. We need focus but in a way that works for us.

I see many people with ASD who find it difficult to learn to use one coffe maker and then use another coffe maker.
This has to do with people having difficulties with analysing what are the details and what are the whole picture.
This is why most of us need to compare how different coffe makers work before we really understand coffe makers.
This can take longer time for us.
My goal when I learn something is looking at how things connect and do not connect, ie comparing different situations with eachother. What are the details of specific coffe makers and what they have in common.

What I see is that we often go to the symptoms and not the reason for the symptoms, ie the difficulties. I mean it is easy to give someone aids and tools to make a situation easier but without really dealing with the difficulty itself.
It's like trying to learn by using training wheels. When you take them away you can't ride the bike.


What do you think?

Some people generalize, while others know how to generalize.

The difficulty is in making a distinction between the two types of people.

I feel generalizing is a poor substitute for studying an issue properly and thoroughly.

What do you mean?
All I know is that some people generalize too much, ie seeing situations as too similar, or generalize too little, ie seeing situations as too different. Most of us, I guess, have difficulties with both at different times.

How do you mean? Could you be more concrete, please!
How would that relate to my coffee maker example?
I, personally, like to look at more than one situation when I learn something. I mean, you could learn just how it works in one situation and then look at the next situation but I prefer to look at mani differebt situations.
I guess most people just don't want to look at different situtions. They don't find it interesting. NTs can have this issue. They just don't like comparing how different situations work. They have their own difficulties.

Last edited by Dandansson on 01 Oct 2021, 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

By saying "all black people smell," you're generalizing....and you're wrong.

By saying "all women want to do is get rich off a man," you're generalizing, and you're wrong.

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 01 Oct 2021, 9:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

Your subjectivity is obvious.

It is easy to make a generalized assumption as to how different brands of coffee makers work, because most simply run hot water through coffee grounds and collect the coffee in a container (cup or carafe).

For those that do not -- Keurig and espresso machines -- the generalized assumption is to READ THE DIRECTIONS!

subjectivity?
So using coffe makers is something very easy and therefore a bad example?

yes but we are talking about how you can have issues with generelaization, ie doing it too much or too little, right?
I find that even NTs have their own issues with generalization. Everyone have difficulties in their own way.
Oh how I can't stand this term. This is why I don't use it even if "experts" do.

"Yes, but..."?



It seems that you may not want an explanation, only an argument.

You asked me to be concrete. I was concrete.

If you constantly ascribe the supposed, or even stereotyped, characteristics of a group to a single person in a group, then you are generalizing too much.

If you take people as individuals, and evaluate them individually, then you are not generalizing too much.

If you assume I'm a "ret*d," based upon a picture of me, which might make me look like a "ret*d," then you are generalizing about me too much. You're not getting to know me individually.

I want an explanation but I just don't understand. I only told you how I was told to think about it.

I know that but we are talking about generalization of skills, I think. Or aren't we? At least that what people ussually do. At least the people I listen to.
But I have had the same thoughts as you.
I often ask myself "what does being bad a generalization refer to?" and know I know. They refer to generalization of skills. You can use the term in the way you just did but this is not exactly how the professionals use it.

Last edited by Dandansson on 01 Oct 2021, 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

Do you mean being able to use the skills you acquire in therapy---outside of the therapy room--into the real world?

It's not unusual for people in therapy to be able to use newly-acquired skills. What makes the therapy successful, though, is the ability to use these newly-acquired skills outside of therapy, in the real world of people.

I gave you an understandable explanation; whose fault is it if you choose to not understand?

That's a good example.

"Generalization is the ability to use skills that a student has learned in new and different environments. Whether those skills are functional or academic, once a skill is learned, it needs to be used in multiple settings. For typical children in a general education program, skills that they have learned in school are usually quickly used in new settings.


Children with disabilities, however, often have difficulty transferring their skills to a different setting from the one in which it was learned. If they are taught how to count money using pictures, they may be unable to "generalize" the skill to real money. Even though a child may learn to decode letter sounds, they may have difficulty transferring that skill to actual reading if they are not expected to blend them into words."
https://www.thoughtco.com/generalizatio ... ts-3110836

your fault. yoou need to explain in a better way.