What psychological concept is illustrated by a second-grader believing all teachers are female?

The psychological concept illustrated by a second-grader believing all teachers are female is overgeneralization. This occurs when a child takes a specific experience or observation and applies it broadly to all similar situations. In this case, the child might have had experiences with female teachers and thus concludes that all teachers must be female.

Overgeneralization is particularly common in early childhood development, as children often make sense of the world through limited experiences and observations. This can lead to misconceptions or stereotypes, as they lack the cognitive maturity to recognize exceptions to the rule.

The other concepts mentioned do not quite fit this scenario. Preoperational thinking refers to a cognitive stage where children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols, but it doesn't specifically capture the idea of making broad assumptions. Confirmation bias involves favoring information that confirms existing beliefs, which isn't the focus here. Social learning relates to learning behaviors through observation and imitation rather than the broad conclusions made by the child.