Chapter 11 ( Inductive Reasoning and Inductive fallacies)

Chapter summary
1. Inductive reasoning is the process of thinking that you used in describing a fruit, vegetable, or tool in Chapter 1 when you began by not knowing the identity of the covered object.
2. The inductive method is also called the empirical or scientific method. It appeared in the reading by Samuel Scudder.
3. Induction reasons from evidence about some members of a class in order to form a conclusion about all members of that class.
4. Induction can abe done through sensory observation, enumeration, analoous reasoning, causal reasoninig, and from pattern recognition.
5. Aconclusion derived through inductive reasoning is called a hypothesis and is always less certain than the evidence itself.
6. Inductive reasoning is used as a method for obtaininig information when it would be impossible to examine all the data available. This is done by taking sttistical samplings or by making extrapolations.
7. The five baisc rules for evaluating the reliability of hypotheses based on statistical samplings are as follows;
a) The greater the size of the sample, the greater is its probability of being representative of the whole of a class.
b) A sampling must be representative in order to lead to reliable results.
c) Statistical evidence should be offered in sufficient detail for verification.
d)One counter example can refute a generalization arrived at through inductive reasoning.
e) When evaluating the results of polls, it is important to examine both the polling agency and the polling question for bias.