THINKING FOR YOUR SELF 11

Inductive reasoning and inductive fallacies: how do I reason from evidence?

Inductive reasons from evidence about some members of a class in order to form a conclusion about all members of that class. Inductive can be done through sensory observation, enumeration, analogous reasoning, causal reasoning, and from pattern recognition.

There are five rules for evaluating the reliability of hypotheses based on statistical samplings.

1. The greater the size of the sample, the greater is its probability of being representative of the whole of a class.
2. A sampling must be representative in order to lead to reliable results.
3. One counter example can refute a generalization arrived at through inductive reasoning.
4. Statistical evidence should be offered in sufficient detail for verification.
5. When evaluating the results of polls, it is important to examine both the polling agency and the polling question for bias.