The following article will provide you with some simple inductive reasoning examples with the intention of making the concept simple and easy to understand. Continue reading to understand what is inductive reasoning and how it is applied.
What is Inductive Reasoning?
In the glossary of psychology terms and definitions, inductive reasoning or 'induction' is defined as reasoning based on detailed facts and general principles, which are eventually used to reach a specific conclusion. Interestingly, inductive reasoning is a type of reasoning wherein the chances of the conclusion being false are significant even when all the premises, on which the conclusion is based, are true. Inductive reasoning can be categorized into different types.
- Casual inference
- False analogy
- Generalization
- Simple induction
- Statistical syllogism
Example of Strong Inductive Reasoning
All the tigers observed in a particular region have yellow black stripes, therefore all the tigers native to this region have yellow stripes.
Even though all the tigers that were observed sported yellow black stripes, the existence of a tiger with black and white stripes cannot be ruled out. Taking that into consideration, we can assume that the conclusion given in this example is not certain. However, the fact that the chances of coming across a white tiger are rare owing to which we can accept this argument, and thus it qualifies to be a good example of strong induction. Simply put a strong induction is one wherein the conclusion is backed by the premises to a significant extent.
Examples of Weak Inductive Reasoning
I always jump the red light, therefore everybody jumps the red light.
Unlike in the case of strong induction, the conclusion is not linked to premises when it comes to weak induction. In the example of weak inductive reasoning given above, concluding that everybody jumps the red light just because one person does so is not at all an exercise of logical thinking. Simply put, a weak induction has a faulty logic in the backdrop.
More Examples of Inductive Reasoning
The relationship between the premises and proposition forms the base of any inductive reasoning argument. Going through some examples of this form of reasoning will help you understand the concept better. So let's go through some inductive reasoning examples in everyday life.
"Every time you eat shrimp, you get cramps. Therefore you get cramps because you eat shrimp."
"Mikhail hails from Russia and Russians are tall, therefore Mikhail is tall."
"When chimpanzees are exposed to rage, they tend to become violent. Humans are similar to chimpanzees, and therefore they tend to get violent when exposed to rage."
"All men are mortal. Socrates is a man, and therefore he is mortal."
"The women in the neighboring apartment has a shrill voice. I can hear a shrill voice from outside, therefore the women in the neighboring apartment is shouting."
This was a compilation of some simple inductive reasoning examples along with a brief explanation about this concept. Comparing these examples with deductive reasoning examples will give you a better idea about what is the difference between inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. We may not realize this, but we do resort to inductive reasoning for numerous day-to-day activities in our life. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising if you come across several circumstances wherein you will have no other option but to rely on inductive reasoning even when you think it is unreliable.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/inductive-reasoning-examples.html
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