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Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning
Deductive reasoning is a type of logical reasoning that allows for the conclusion to be drawn from a set of premises that are generally known or assumed to be true. In other words, deductive reasoning starts with a general statement (or hypothesis) and then applies it to a specific situation in order to arrive at a logical conclusion. For example, if one were to deduce that all cats are animals, they would first need to know or assume that all animals have fur. They would then take this general statement and apply it to the specific case of cats in order to conclude that cats are animals. In contrast, inductive reasoning starts with specific observations or examples and then attempts to generalize from these observations in order to arrive at a broader conclusion. So, using the same example, if one were to observe several cats and notice that they all have fur, they could then inductively reason that all cats are animals. However, it is important to note that inductive reasoning can only lead to a probable conclusion; it cannot be used to draw definitive conclusions (Johnson, 1996).
I feel that in many ways, deductive and inductive reasoning are two sides of the same coin. Deductive reasoning is the process of deriving a conclusion from a set of premises, while inductive reasoning is the process of reaching a conclusion based on evidence (Heit & Rotello, 2010). And in many cases, research uses both deductive and inductive reasoning. For instance, a scientist may start with a deductive hypothesis (If A is true and B is true, then C must be true), but he might use inductive methods to test this hypothesis (by observing evidence to see if A and B do in fact lead to C). Ultimately, both deductive and inductive reasoning are important tools for generating knowledge. And I feel that most research uses some elements of both types of reasoning.
References
Heit, E., & Rotello, C. M. (2010). Relations between inductive reasoning and deductive
reasoning.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition,36(3), 805.
Johnson, C. F. (1996). Deductive versus inductive reasoning: a closer look at
economics.The Social Science Journal,33(3), 287-299.
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