The phrase "a simplistic understanding of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a shallow or overly basic interpretation of a complex topic or issue.
Example: "His argument is based on a simplistic understanding of the economic factors at play."
Alternatives: "a superficial grasp of" or "a naive view of".
"Westerners have a simplistic understanding of China: whatever can't be clarified must be guanxi.
We have deliberately rejected a simplistic understanding of how finance operates, analysing country context, sources of finance, techniques used to translate money into action, and accountability of financial actors.
Mohanty claims that this perspective leads to a simplistic understanding of what feminists in Western countries can do to "help" women in developing nations.
"The adoption of any of these could lead to a simplistic understanding of sectarianism in Scotland which serves to enhance the unhealthy and unhelpful 'them' and 'us' opposition".
The downsides are insufficiencies regarding a simplistic understanding of experts and expertise, a neglect of the role of auditing firms, and only an imbalanced integration of different stakeholders.
Judaism has never had such a simplistic understanding of faith.
But on a recent Skype call from his home in Los Angeles, Williams stressed that such a simplistic understanding ignores the reality of what's actually going on out there.
It has to be said that some Christians have a very simplistic understanding of what is meant by the incarnation.
"The average person has a very simplistic understanding of insurance: I either have it or I don't," said Amy Bach, executive director of the consumer advocacy group United Policyholders.
And now, even the former commander of the forces fighting it has admitted that they had a "frighteningly simplistic" understanding of the country, and that they didn't know the country's history, or culture, or languages, and didn't bother to learn.
Conflicting interpretations of sustainability, in combination with a simplistic understanding and agency introduced from the top-down, has eliminated waste minimization as the main outcome of the directive.
