What Is The Difference Between Making A Generalization And Making An Inference?

There’s actually quite a lot of difference!

What Is Making An Inference?
Making an inference means using logic to come to a conclusion about something. You’re using your knowledge and experiences to predict something.

• Example 1: Sarah won the race last time, therefore she’ll win this time, too.
• Example 2: Your dad always eats white chocolate after dinner, so his favorite type of chocolate must be white chocolate.

What Is Making A Generalization?
Making a generalization is using what you know about something and applying it to something larger.

• Example 1: You drop a piece of cheese from your sandwich, and your cat eats it. Therefore all cats eat cheese.
• Example 2: Chris is rude, and he's a boy. Therefore all boys are rude.

Essentially, making an inference involves using more logic than making a generalization. When you make a generalization, you're making a bigger jump between one thing and the next.