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Anecdotal Evidence

F086 • Informal - Evidence/Generalization

Also known as: Anecdotal Fallacy

Difficulty 3/10Medium LoadExtremely Common

Definition

Using personal experience or isolated examples instead of sound statistical evidence.

Why Invalid

Personal stories are not representative of larger patterns. Individual cases may be outliers or influenced by confounding factors.

Edge Cases

  • Generating hypotheses for further study
  • Illustrating established statistical patterns
  • Personal decision-making about own life
  • When systematic data unavailable

Examples

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Scope of Applicability

  1. Check if personal stories used instead of statistics
  2. Assess if systematic data available but ignored
  3. Look for 'I know someone who...' framing
  4. Verify if anecdote representative or outlier

Common Mistakes

  • Anecdotes feel more compelling than statistics (availability bias)
  • Not recognizing when anecdotes are legitimate
  • Dismissing all personal experience

Related Concepts

Hasty GeneralizationCherry Picking

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F082 Hasty Generalization
Return to 3.2 Drawing Conclusions