Your friend tells you that she just bought a cat.You naturally assume that your friend means that she bought a housecat rather than a lion or a tiger.This is an illustration of ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of a spontaneous generalization, where we make assumptions based on past experiences and common knowledge. In this case, it is common knowledge that people generally adopt housecats as pets rather than exotic animals like lions or tigers.

Your Friend Tells You That She Just Bought a Cat