Positive Generalization Scale (POG)

Generalization in Psychology

Generalization is a cognitive process in which an individual learns to respond to a stimulus in the same way as they have responded to a similar stimulus in the past. For example, if a child is bitten by a dog, they may learn to fear all dogs. This is because the child has generalized their fear of the one dog to all dogs.

Generalization can be a helpful cognitive process, as it allows us to learn from our experiences and make predictions about the future. However, it can also be a harmful cognitive process, as it can lead to biases and prejudices. For example, if a person has had a negative experience with a member of a particular group, they may generalize that experience to all members of that group. This can lead to discrimination and prejudice.

History of Generalization in Psychology

The concept of generalization was first introduced by Edward Thorndike in the early 1900s. Thorndike was a behaviorist, and he believed that learning was based on the association of stimuli and responses. He conducted a series of experiments in which he trained cats to escape from puzzle boxes. Thorndike found that the cats learned to escape from the boxes more quickly each time they tried. He explained this by saying that the cats were generalizing the learning from one box to the other boxes.

Characteristics of Generalization

There are three main characteristics of generalization:

• Similarity: Generalization is more likely to occur when the new stimulus is similar to the old stimulus. For example, a person who is afraid of spiders is more likely to be afraid of other small, hairy creatures.
• Recency: Generalization is more likely to occur when the new stimulus is presented shortly after the old stimulus. For example, a person who is bitten by a dog is more likely to be afraid of dogs for a short period of time after the bite.
• Frequency: Generalization is more likely to occur when the new stimulus is presented frequently. For example, a person who is repeatedly exposed to negative stereotypes about a particular group is more likely to generalize those stereotypes to all members of that group.

Other Related Terms

• Discrimination: Discrimination is the opposite of generalization. It is the ability to respond to different stimuli in different ways. For example, a person who is able to distinguish between different breeds of dogs is demonstrating discrimination.
• Stimulus equivalence: Stimulus equivalence is a type of generalization in which an individual learns to respond to two or more stimuli in the same way. For example, a person who has learned to respond to a red light by stopping may also learn to respond to a stop sign in the same way.
• Transfer of learning: Transfer of learning is the ability to use knowledge or skills learned in one situation in a new situation. For example, a person who has learned to play the piano may be able to learn to play the guitar more easily.

Sources

• **Domjan, M. (2015). The principles of learning and behavior (10th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• **Hergenhahn, B. R., & Olson, M. H. (2018). An introduction to psychology (17th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• **Kimble, G. A. (1967). Conditioning and learning. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
• **McLeod, S. A. (2019). Generalization. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/generalization.html

Background:

The Positive Generalization Scale (POG) was devised to assess the tendency to generalize from one positive experience to the broader sense of self. The POG addressee three different aspects of positive generalization: Lateral generalization is the tendency to generalize to a different domain of self; Upward generalization is the tendency to generalize to higher aspects of the self; Social generalization is upward generalization in the social sphere. The POG was first used in a study reported by Eisner et al. (see below); it was slightly revised and used in another study reported by Carver and Johnson (see below). In both cases, we found that tendencies toward mania were related to greater positive generalization and that tendencies toward depression were related to greater negative generalization, but there was no crossover of generalization type to disorder tendency.

Psychometrics:

For psychometrics see: Carver, C. S., & Johnson, S. L. (2009). Tendencies toward mania and tendencies toward depression have distinct motivational, affective, and cognitive correlates. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33, 552-569.

Author of Tool:

Carver, C. S.

Key references:

Primary use / Purpose:

Measure of positivity generalization tendency