Steps of Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning, which is also called deductive logic and top-down reasoning, is a way to come to a logical conclusion by starting with general assumptions and logical premises.

The argument for deductive reasoning is that if you assume something is true and it is related to something else, then what you assumed to be true for the first thing also applies to the second thing.

For instance, if you say that a group of people has certain traits, you assume that everyone in that group has those traits. For another example of the deductive method, imagine that you have a large box and a washing machine that you can’t fit into the box.

Examples of deductive reasoning

Take a look at these examples to better understand how deductive reasoning works:

Customers are happy if the store helps them quickly. At our store, we offer quick service. Customers are happy with the service at our store because of this.

To work as a civil engineer, you need to have a degree in the field. You can’t work as a civil engineer if you don’t go to a civil engineering college and get a degree in civil engineering.

In order to make a profit, you need to make 100 sales. You have made 100 sales. Because of this, you have made a profit.

Reliability of deductive reasoning

The validity of deductive reasoning depends on how true the statements are that are being looked at. So, if either of the two statements isn’t true, the conclusion you draw from them won’t be right.

Strangely enough, though, you can sometimes come to the right conclusion even in this kind of situation. Don’t forget that you can’t always just assume that your conclusions are 100% right.

The deductive reasoning process

Using information that is generally thought to be true to come to a conclusion is the process of deductive reasoning. The information you use is based only on facts and has nothing to do with feelings or anything else that can’t be checked.

If you know how deductive reasoning works, you might be able to use it to solve problems at work.

The following steps make up the deductive method:

• Make initial assumptions: To start, you make an assumption that most people think is true

• Make a second premise: After that, you should think about a second premise that is related. So, if the first premise is true, then the second one is also true.

• Test it: You can then put the assumption to the test in different ways and write down what happens.

• Conclusion: Depending on the results you get, you can decide if the information is correct or not.

Types of Deductive Reasoning:

There are three common ways to make a deduction:

Syllogism

Modus ponens

Modus tollens.

Syllogism

A syllogism is a type of deductive reasoning that is often used. Almost all syllogisms are made up of three lines, with a word that is used in both premises but not in the conclusion.

Here is an example

a) A person from Generation X was born in the 1970s.

b) If a person is from Generation X, they used a Walkman to listen to music.

c) If a person was born in the 1970s, they used a Walkman to listen to music.

Modus Ponens

The modus ponens method is another type of deductive reasoning. It works like this:

a) A millennial is someone who was born between 1981 and 1996.

b) Miley entered the world in 1992.

c) Miley is a millennial because of this.

This type of reasoning is also called “affirming the antecedent” because only the first premise is a conditional statement, and the second premise just confirms that the first part of the previous statement (the antecedent) is true.

Modus Tollens

The law of contrapositive, or modus tollens, is another type of deductive reasoning. It is the opposite of modus ponens because its second premise negates the second part (the consequence) of the previous conditional statement.

For example

a) A millennial is someone who was born between 1981 and 1996.

b) Bruce is not in his 20s or 30s.

c) Because of this, Bruce couldn’t have been born between 1981 and 1996.

You can improve the following soft skills by using deductive reasoning

Problem-solving skills: If you know how to solve problems, you’ll be able to deal with problems at work and find good solutions for them.

Teamwork skills: In the workplace, you often have to work with other people in teams, which can sometimes be hard because people have different ways of getting things done. Using deductive reasoning, you might be able to get everyone on the same page to help them work better together and get more done.

Customer service skills: If you use deduction, you’ll be able to figure out what your customers don’t like about your service and find the right way to fix it. Improving customer satisfaction will help your business as a whole and help you make more money.

Conclusion

In a deductive approach, the students are given a general rule, which they then apply to specific language examples and practise until they get it right.

It’s important to learn and practise deductive and inductive reasoning because it helps you develop your critical thinking skills. This improves your ability to solve problems, makes you a better leader, and helps you understand how other people feel.