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Going from the specific to the general is a technique known as inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning, where you proceed from broad information to specific conclusions, is typically contrasted with it.
Bottom-up reasoning and inductive logic are other names for inductive reasoning.
Deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning are sometimes mistaken. Deductive reasoning, on the other hand, involves moving from broad premises to narrow conclusions to draw inferences.
What is Inductive Reasoning?
A logical method for drawing inferences or conclusions is inductive reasoning. In everyday contexts, people frequently employ informal inductive reasoning.
You may have seen examples of inductive reasoning that consist of three statements. These begin with a particular observation, then include a broad pattern before coming to a conclusion.
Examples: Inductive Reasoning
Stage | Example 1 | Example 2 |
Age of 12 months. | Orange cat Nala makes strong purring sounds. | At the age of 12 months, Baby Jack said his first word. |
Identification of patterns | I’ve met a lot of orange cats, and all of them purr. | At 12 months of age, all babies who have been observed utter their first word. |
Conclusion in general | Each orange cat makes a loud purr. | At the age of 12 months, all infants utter their first word. |
Research Using Inductive Reasoning
Making observations or collecting data is the first step in inductive investigation. The next step is to look at your data broadly and look for patterns. Finally, you draw broad findings that you could use to develop hypotheses.
Example: Research using inductive reasoning
You conduct exploratory research to see if pet owners’ use of work-from-home policies has affected the way their pets behave.
You provide pet owners with a survey. You enquire about the kind of animal they own and whether there have been any behavioural changes in their animals since they began working from home. Your observations are based on these facts.
Deductive Reasoning
A logical strategy used in deductive reasoning is moving from broad concepts to specific conclusions. Inductive thinking, which starts with specific observations and draws broader conclusions, is sometimes contrasted with deductive reasoning.
Deductive logic and top-down reasoning are other names for deductive reasoning.
A premise is a statement that establishes the foundation for a theory or broad idea. It can be a universally acknowledged idea, fact, or rule. Conclusions are statements that the premises support.
Deductive Logic Arguments
You will frequently start with one premise and then add another in a straightforward deductive logic argument. Then, based on these two premises, you draw a conclusion. Premise-Premise-Conclusion is the name of this format.
Examples: Arguments Using Deductive Logic
Premise: All insects have exactly six legs.
Premise : Spiders have eight legs.
Conclusion: Spiders are not insects, therefore.
Premise: In the presence of acid, blue litmus paper turns crimson.
Premise: I dropped some liquid on the blue litmus paper, causing it to become red.
Conclusion: The liquid is hence acidic.
Validity and Reliability
Deductive reasoning arguments are evaluated using the standards of validity and soundness.
Validity
Validity in this case refers to how the premises and conclusion connect to one another. Research validity is not the same thing as this idea.
Example (Valid (but untrue) deductive arguments)
Flights are cancelled if there is a rainbow.
Now a rainbow is seen.
Flights are consequently cancelled.
Soundness
Only a valid argument with true premises can be considered sound. Sound arguments are all invalid arguments.
You must reach a true conclusion if your premises are true and your argument is sound.
Examples: Sound Deductive Reasoning
Example 1
Extreme weather causes the cancellation of flights.
Right now, there are severe weather conditions.
Flights are consequently cancelled.
Deductive Reasoning in Research
Scientific study frequently employs deductive reasoning, which is particularly common in quantitative studies.
You may have heard of the hypothetico-deductive technique when conducting research. To determine whether your predictions are supported by actual evidence, you can use the scientific approach of testing hypotheses.
Both academic and non-academic research uses this methodology.
Difference Between Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
Inductive reasoning | Deductive reasoning |
Inductive reasoning aims to construct a theory. | Deductive reasoning tries to test an existing theory, |
Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to broad generalizations | Deductive reasoning the other way around. |
Inductive reasoning is a bottom-up approach | A top-down strategy is deductive reasoning. |
Example : Data: I see fireflies in my backyard every summer. Hypothesis: This summer, I will probably see fireflies in my backyard. | Example: All dogs have ears; golden retrievers are dogs, therefore they have ears. |
Conclusion
The development of your critical thinking talents, which enable you to enhance your problem-solving abilities, build your interpersonal and leadership skills, and aid in your ability to empathise with others, makes it crucial to acquire and practise deductive and inductive reasoning.
In order to develop our knowledge of the world, we frequently utilize inductive reasoning. The scientific method is likewise built on inductive reasoning; researchers gather information through experimentation and observation, develop hypotheses based on that information, and then test those hypotheses further.
