> One would think that graduate training in a quantitative
> social science would rid a person of the habit of making such
> flimsy generalizations, even in casual conversation. But I
> guess I'm just naive.
Oftentimes, arrogant people, who inter alia, make flimsy generalizations are attracted to quantitative social science because number crunching conveys a sense of power that their overblown egos crave. First, it is the "physics envy" as the quantitative method projects the image of certitude and authoritativeness associated with natural sciences. Second, it is the "jargon effect" that shields the person using it from scrutiny and challenge, as many potential challengers do not have the time, the skill or both to deconstruct the jargon and translate into empirically meaningful, and thus testable, propositions.
Imho, many quantitative social scientists, especially economists, use math the way cops use flash lights - to beat up their adversaries rather than to shed some light for the general public.
Wojtek