What is the term for drawing sweeping conclusions based on only one incident or event?

The term used to describe drawing broad conclusions from a single incident or event is overgeneralization. This cognitive distortion occurs when someone takes a specific example and extrapolates it to all instances, leading to misguided beliefs or judgments. For instance, if a nurse encounters a single negative patient outcome and concludes that the entire department lacks competence, this represents overgeneralization.

Recognizing overgeneralization is crucial in nursing and management, as it can affect decision-making, staff morale, and patient care. It promotes a focus on evidence-based practices rather than allowing isolated incidents to dictate overall assessments. This awareness helps leaders like nurse executives maintain a balanced perspective, ensuring that conclusions drawn from events are based on comprehensive data rather than singular experiences.

In contrast, cognitive overload refers to a state where an individual has too much information to process, confirmation bias involves favoring information that confirms existing beliefs, and selective perception signifies focusing only on certain aspects of a situation while ignoring others. Each of these concepts affects thinking but does not specifically pertain to drawing broad conclusions from isolated events like overgeneralization does.