Lumpers And Splitters Analysis
What would one consider themselves as, a lumper or a splitter? A hyper specific individual with extreme perception or a regular John Doe? A normal school age child or one labeled with a disability such as autism? In Grandin and Johnsons article “Lumpers and Splitters: What makes animals and autistic people different” they have a theory and consider someone who generalizes things a lumper, whereas animals and autistic people are considered splitters because they “particularize” things. This theory can be proven by testing anyone to show how to go about doing things such as describing objects they see or characterizing things. In the show, Sherlock, Sherlock has shown characteristics that can help prove Grandin’s theory. It will be proven that
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He realized that the woman was walking in the rain with her collar up because it was damp and that she was carrying a small suitcase due to the splashed mud on her ankles and none of the other detectives and officers on the scene noticed these details. Another example, in the show is when Sherlock is to pick between a pill that will kill him slowly and alone or by getting shot brutally in the front of the head with a black handgun by, the cabbie, the taxi driver. Sherlock chose to be shot in the front of the head by the cabbie in cold blood because he is so hyper-specific and has such extreme perception. That he knows that the black gun isn't really a real gun with bullets but only an imitation toy version made to look like the real thing. He states, “I've seen a lot of guns in my day and I know a fake one when I see one” (Sherlock). This is proving Grandin’s theory regarding the characteristics of hyper specificity and extreme perception, as well as, showing that Sherlock is a splitter. He particularized the characteristics of a fake versus a real gun and noticed the small details that a normal person would not have noticed, but that a person with some characteristics of autism would have. A lumper would have just seen a gun and would have freaked out and wouldn't have been able to see the difference between a fake and a real
He realized that the woman was walking in the rain with her collar up because it was damp and that she was carrying a small suitcase due to the splashed mud on her ankles and none of the other detectives and officers on the scene noticed these details. Another example, in the show is when Sherlock is to pick between a pill that will kill him slowly and alone or by getting shot brutally in the front of the head with a black handgun by, the cabbie, the taxi driver. Sherlock chose to be shot in the front of the head by the cabbie in cold blood because he is so hyper-specific and has such extreme perception. That he knows that the black gun isn't really a real gun with bullets but only an imitation toy version made to look like the real thing. He states, “I've seen a lot of guns in my day and I know a fake one when I see one” (Sherlock). This is proving Grandin’s theory regarding the characteristics of hyper specificity and extreme perception, as well as, showing that Sherlock is a splitter. He particularized the characteristics of a fake versus a real gun and noticed the small details that a normal person would not have noticed, but that a person with some characteristics of autism would have. A lumper would have just seen a gun and would have freaked out and wouldn't have been able to see the difference between a fake and a real