Question

1. Decide which one of the following statements is an example of Inductive OR Deductivereasoning:

1. It is dangerous to drive on icy streets. The streets are icy now, so it is dangerous to drive now.
2. Elephants have cells in their bodies and all cells have DNA, so elephants haveDNA.
3. All birds have feathers and robins are birds, so robins have feathers.
4. Red meat has iron in it and beef is red meat, so beef has iron in it.
5. John is an excellent swimmer. John’s family has a swimming pool. John’s sister Mary must also be an excellent swimmer.
6. Ray is a football player. All football players weigh more than 170 pounds. Ray weighs more than 170 pounds.

Answer 1

Reasoning is the process of supporting an argument with facts and logic. Deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning are two such strategies.

When a specific logical conclusion is made from a general hypothesis it is called deductive reasoning.

Eg. All soldiers are brave. Ben is a soldier. Therefore Ben is brave.

When a broad generalisation is made on the basis of an observation it is called inductive reasoning.

E.g. Ben is a solder. He is brave. Therefore all soldiers are brave.

• It is dangerous to drive on icy streets. The streets are icy now, so it is dangerous to drive now.
• Deductive Reasoning
• Here we are given with a general fact “It is dangerous to drive on icy streets” and we are deriving “it is dangerous to drive now”

• Elephants have cells in their bodies and all cells have DNA, so elephants have DNA
• Deductive Reasoning
• Here we are given with a general fact “cells have DNA” and we are deriving “elephants have DNA”

• All birds have feathers and robins are birds, so robins have feathers.
• Deductive Reasoning
• Here we are given with a general fact “All birds have feathers” and we are deriving “robins have feathers”

• Red meat has iron in it and beef is red meat, so beef has iron in it.
• Deductive Reasoning
• Here we are given with a general fact “Red meat has iron” and we are deriving “beef has iron in it”

• John is an excellent swimmer. John’s family has a swimming pool. John’s sister Mary must also be an excellent swimmer.
• Inductive Reasoning
• Here we are given with a specific fact “John is an excellent swimmer” and we are deriving “his family members are also excellent swimmers” which is general.

• Ray is a football player. All football players weigh more than 170 pounds. Ray weighs more than 170 pounds.
• Deductive Reasoning
• Here we are given with a general fact “All football players weigh more than 170 pounds” and we are deriving “Ray weighs more than 170 pounds”