Master confusing words with ease
Deductive vs. Inductive
Deductive
/dɪˈdʌktɪv/Examples:
The detective applied deductive reasoning to solve the mystery.Her conclusions are based on a deductive analysis of the data.Philosophers often employ deductive methods to derive truths.
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Inductive
/ɪnˈdʌktɪv/Examples:
The detective relied on inductive reasoning to solve the case.Students learned the basics of inductive geometry in math class.She presented an inductive argument to support her hypothesis.
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Ways to tell them apart:
- Deductive reasoning starts with a general statement and examines the possibilities to reach a specific conclusion.
- Inductive reasoning starts with specific observations and measures to develop broader generalizations and theories.
- Remember deduction comes from deduce, meaning to derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed.
- Think of inductive as introducing or bringing in (like introducing new ideas based on observed patterns).
- In deductive reasoning, if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true; whereas in inductive reasoning, the premises provide some degree of probability that the conclusion is true.
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