Hello Class,
In this blog, we will work on Chapter 11, Inductive Reasoning. In building evidence to support a theory or position, writers will use inductive reasoning as a primary form of evidence building. Remember induction builds argument from the outside in. That is, evidence or logic is established based on observation → test→ theory. It is empirical in principle. How do you use inductive reasoning in your lives. Review the techniques in Chapter 11, how do you think you use them or can you use them in making assessments and evaluations in your lives.
This blog will close on Friday.
Thanks,
48 comments:
Hello class,
" When we use inductive reasoning, we observe,test,and check things out in some systematic fashion".In chapter 11, there are four definitions that we apply to our lives, induction, reasoning,empirical, scientific method, and inductive reasoning. Induction is one form of reasoning that helps us explain why certain things happen or might occur. I use induction when I'am not familiar with the object. For example, when i first tried sea food for the first time, I had to to observe it to make sure it looks right then test it.
Inductive reason is what we use to fill in the missing information. Inductive reasoning is used in science and math. In science, we create a hypothesis and once we do all the experiments we come to a conclusion. This is called the scientific model. The math we use inductive reasoning are probability and statistics. Each one gives us either data or numbers and from them we must give a result. Two other ways to draw inductive reasoning is through analogical reasoning and patterns. Analogical reasoning is looking at two things seemly different and making comparisons. Patterns gives us set of data that we can interpret the information. The cause and effect is also an inductive reasoning because using the cause we can conclude if there is going to be a positive or negative outcome.
We use inductive reasoning every day in our lives. We make observations and from those we make conclusions. For example, we observe that our car is wet therefore if must have rained. I think I can use them by being more observant to my surroundings and the information I am getting.
Caresse Fong
In Chapter 11, “Inductive Reasoning: How Do I Reason from Evidence?” Mayfield shows detailed explanations of how the inductive reasoning works. She explains “inductive reasoning is a method used to discover new information or to supply missing information (Mayfield 293).” She also states that inductive can be done through several methods, reasoning from sensory observation, enumeration, analogical reasoning, discovering patterns, from and about causes, reasoning with hypothesis, and reasoning through statistics and probability.
Based on my understanding to all the methods, here is my ways to use inductive reasoning in my daily life.
1. Reasoning from Sensory Observation
When I go to Costco, I might sometimes eat some fee sample of food, and see whether it is good or not. This example indicates the sensory observation through the basic senses of taste.
2. Reasoning from Enumeration
Before I come to the United States, I have the Chinese New Year with my family every year. After the Chinese New Year, my mother always asks me to count the total amount of money that I collect and my brother collects from red envelopes. One time, I first counted all my red envelopes and got HK$1,100. Then, I counted my brother’s red envelopes which was also HK$1,100. Therefore, I concluded that both of us must contain exactly HK$1,100 in total.
3. Analogical Reasoning
When I buy a pair of shoes, I will check the size of the shoes. First, I asked for a bigger and a smaller size of shoes. Second, I check which one is more suitable for me. By analogous reasoning, I decided that the bigger size was suitable for me.
4. Discovering Patterns
Once I heard the rhythm “Baby, Baby, Baby, ooh…,” I will immediately recognize the song from the singer, Justin Bieber. This example shows Inductive reasoning looks for pattern that involves sounds.
5. Reasoning from and About Causes
Computer Science is my major right now. During the programming time, errors might come out. Once, after I complied a program, the system showed me three errors that I missed a semicolon in line 23, missed a “<<” in line 25, and missed a function header in line 36. All the typing mistakes determine the cause of complying errors.
6. Reasoning through Statistics and Probability
When I was taking Physics laboratory class, I had to collect numerical data for the mass of toy cars, and the distance of a table more than one times in order to find out how momentum acts on the cars. I also need to find out the probability and make predictions according to these data.
Feel free to correct me.
Thank you,
Andrew
Hi Jessica,
I fully understand what you said in your post. I also enjoy reading that too. However, I have a little question for your example.
Which inductive reasoning in the book did you use for that example?
Based my understanding, that should be reasoning from sensory observation?
Thanks,
Andrew
Jessica Vigil,
I like your post. Maybe you can go a little more detail about "reasong, empirical, scientific,method and inductive reasoning." After reading your post I understand what induction means.
Caresse Fong
Caresse Fong,I really enjoyed your post i loved your examples and I can relate to your Costco experience.
Regards to chapter 11 Inductive reasoning; this method is constantly use by people every day. For example, I recently purchased an old truck. I examined the vehicle as much as I could looking for major flaws; such as body damage, the condition of the engine, and the mileage. Based on my observation and the data collected; I informed the owner that, I believed there were some issues that were going to need attention, and if he would reconsider reduce his asking price the sale would be made.
In addition, inductive reasoning looks for patterns as well. I reached out to the knocking sound that the engine was making, and I compared the similarity to engine that was low on oil, and needed a tune up!
Finally, reasoning from and about causes. As mentioned in the introduction, I informed the owner of the truck that it had some issues that were going to need attention, and if not, the truck was probably going to break down. Although, it did not occur, I based my reasoning on a prior situation!
proprietor and buyer of inventory. As a seasoned thrift shopper I am constantly using inductive reasoning in my purchasing and also in many of my business decisions.
Inductive reasoning involves utilizing the outside and applying it inward for constructing conclusions. The reasoning used to form inductions like hypotheses involve patterns, analogous situations, statistics and data. These conclusions can be right or wrong based on the assertion of the induction.
When I am perusing the aisles of the Salvation Army I shop with a dual purpose. I look for clothes that satisfy my fashion aesthetic and I also look for clothes that will sell in my shop. I will make inductions based on analogous situations in choosing a mesh crop top that has a history of selling well. I infer that because it satiated consumer demand it will again. I can be right on in my reasoning or be off and suffer the consequences. To make a thorough and well-informed induction I need to be educated in my assessment. If I take inventory at my shop and see a pattern of $10 items selling more frequently than $50 items, using inductive reasoning in deciding to stock more $10 items is a sound business choice. Being an educated shopper and an a well informed decision maker is dependent on inductive reasoning.
Hi everyone, sorry to repost but I cut off the top of my post. Last year I started a little vintage clothing business where I am the sole proprietor and buyer of inventory. As a seasoned thrift shopper I am constantly using inductive reasoning in my purchasing and also in many of my business decisions.
Inductive reasoning involves utilizing the outside and applying it inward for constructing conclusions. The reasoning used to form inductions like hypotheses involve patterns, analogous situations, statistics and data. These conclusions can be right or wrong based on the assertion of the induction.
When I am perusing the aisles of the Salvation Army I shop with a dual purpose. I look for clothes that satisfy my fashion aesthetic and I also look for clothes that will sell in my shop. I will make inductions based on analogous situations in choosing a mesh crop top that has a history of selling well. I infer that because it satiated consumer demand it will again. I can be right on in my reasoning or be off and suffer the consequences. To make a thorough and well-informed induction I need to be educated in my assessment. If I take inventory at my shop and see a pattern of $10 items selling more frequently than $50 items, using inductive reasoning in deciding to stock more $10 items is a sound business choice. Being an educated shopper and as a well informed decision maker is dependent on inductive reasoning.
Hi Annie Steiner:
I like your post regarding your vintage clothing business. I agree, with your analogy on how you are constantly using inductive reason on not only your purchases,but how you utilize outside and apply it to your conclusions.
Great post, and it seems that you are on your way to become a successful business owner!
yours,
Francisco Santos
How I use inductive reasoning in my life is through many aspects of findings and test, For example, my dad and I sometimes check to see what sort of problems computers may have that might have occurred on us. We will start making suggestions, test it, and come to a conclusion did it work just the way we predicted or not. Like in the chapter it discuss about the same way the scientific method is done. Through hypothesis, come up with evidence, test and observe, and come with a conclusion, in this case I have using inductive reasoning from and about causes. We can evaluate inductive reason through our sensory observation; where we touch, taste, smell, and hear or a more advance sense known as ancillary sense which goes to the dept of emotions and feelings. We can use inductive reasoning statically through enumeration, counting how many people in a specific category. In other words, I can make an assessment of my life through inductive reason that helps measures either my experience or education level. Doctors can make a health assessment on me to diagnose anything particular ailment is present. Evaluation through inductive reasoning can help make our evaluations more effective in making the value of our judgments, opinions, and conclusions worth the value. For example, If I want to ensure that a computer is completely broke down and cannot start anymore, I will use inductive reasoning to confirm my evaluations through test, causes, etc.
In my lives, I am always use inductive reasoning from enumeration to determine the number from counting on the time for changing oil of my car and the spending on my gasoline each time. For example, I am always count for how many months I have to change oil for my car in every 3000 miles, and I can recognize that for every two months and half, I have to change oil for my car. I also count for how much I have to spend each time to full fill the gas tank, and I recognize that I have to spend $35.00 to full fill the gas tank in each time. I am also use inductive reasoning of analogical reasoning for my electronic like the cell phone or computer to find a correspondence of similarity between them that seem different. For instance, when I need to buy a new cell phone or computer for myself. I am always do lot of research online to find the similarity function for the product I want to buy, then I compare all of these products to look for which one have more special function than the other, and I chose the product which have more special function than others. That is the way I can use reasoning for enumeration and analogical reasoning of inductive reasoning in making assessments and evaluations in my lives to get the best product for myself. I am also need to get the quantitative amount of my spending on gas and the quantitative amount of time for changing oil of my car.
Hello Andrew,
I am really enjoy your pose. I like your example of Reasoning from Sensory Observation and Analogical Reasoning because I feel interested in your example. Your example let me think about my action in some case when I go shopping or Costco.
HI Ken,
I really like what you mention in your post, especially the gasoline example. That is a good example too. However, that is not my example. Maybe a year later.
Besides this, for your cell phone example, I think I did the same when I brought a new Sony computer at fly's electronics last year.
Do you have more daily examples to share with me?
Thanks,
Andrew
HI Andrew, I really enjoy read your post which is really specificl. Moreover, you offer some good example to us. I really agree with your explanation of reasoning from sensory observation. You said that: “When I go to Costco, I might sometimes eat some fee sample of food, and see whether it is good or not.” I also did that when I wanted to buy some food from Costo.
Hi Kim,
I feel the same too as you mention your example of buying new computer in your post. Of course, this is one of the common examples for everyone who live in modern society.
Based on what I have seen to all the posts from other classmates so far, I find that Sensory Observation is the most common one for us.
Do you agree with me? Also, what do you think of other inductive reasoning methods. Would you like to share with me.
Thanks,
Andrew
When it comes to inductive reasoning in my everyday life I feel like I use Sensory Observation the most. Sensory observation is “is the awareness of self and the worlds through the basic senses of sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing”. When I go to William Sonoma I first look around and take in the scenery of all the different products they have and check to see if I see anything new. I also browse trough the different spices first looking and touching then taking the time to actually see what they smell like. Then I use listen to what the sales associates have to say about the product.
Hi Chun Wing Wan (Andrew),
I really like your post and enjoyed all your examples about inductive reasoning. I like when you talked about buying a pair of shoes and the different steps you go through to determine if heir right for you.
"We use inductive reasoning to help us out in situation where an examination of all the data would be an possible or impractical task," according to Chapter 11 in the text book. In addition, we can use inductive reasoning to find new information or to supply missing information. In my lives, I can use inductive reasoning by using our basic senses (such as sight, touch, taste and smell) to observe, making a probability estimate, making comparisons in the form of analogies, and looking for patterns an characteristics. Besides, I think that I can use them to make evaluation and assessments in my lives. For example, I observe that when I eat hotpot, my face turns red and when I am in a room with too much heat, my face turns red. Then my conclusion is that when I feel very hot, my face turns red. Determining the probable of causes of redness of my face is a way to help me to come up a conclusion or give me an explanation. In short, inductive reasoning can help me to examine what we think and see.
We use inductive reasoning in our daily life. Most of the people get attractive from the cooking of other things that we see. We observe what we see, then we look more into it and we will conclude or comment about that. For example, when I go shopping and I see a dress. I will observe it first and then try it on (checking). Finally, i will give a comment or conclude whether or not I should buy it.
I really enjoy reading your comment. I think you have a good example and explanation. It helps me understand more.
Hello, Caresse
Your post and examples of inductive reasoning are great. I like what you talk about inductive reasoning used in science and math. Either of probability and statistics in math is one way to draw inductive reasoning. Besides, your explanations about patterns and analogical reasoning help me understand more how they draw inductive reasoning.
Thank you!
I use inductive reasonings in my life to do things in my life. I use in sensory observation such as hearing the kettle whistle and knowing that the hot water is ready to pour into my coffee. I use the sense of taste to taste my coffee to see if I need more milk or not. And from there I start off the beginning of my day. I use reasoning from enumeration by counting off the time until I have to leave the house and run to the bus by. When I look outside and see that the trees are swishing back and forth meaning that it is windy and that there is a major overcast; I am using analogical reasoning that today will be a cold and windy day. While walking to the bus stop while eating a banana and drinking my coffee, I form patterns in my head that if there are a lot of people waiting at the bus stop, it means the bus has not come yet, if their is no one there, that means the bus left just a moment ago. Lastly, when I do finally arrive to school and if my bag is wet and smells like coffee I will conclude from reasoning that the cause of the spill is due to my cup of coffee being in the bag because i am not allowed to bring drinks on the bus.
The above techniques I use to make assessments and evaluations in my life are very useful. I do it on the daily and do not even know which is pretty cool.
To Kimvy Nguyen:
Isn't it cool that we use inductive reasoning in our daily lives and never even knew it. Even before we went to school and knew that there was a word for it we were already using inductive reasoning. Human beings are so great, animals probably use inductive reasonings too, and probably other non human things. Inductive reasoning is very useful when it comes to shopping; I must agree with you on that. Without inductive reasoning we all will probably shop crazily and that is all bad.
Inductive reasoning helps us to find new information. “When we use inductive reasoning, we observe, test, and check things out in some systematic fashion. (p.293). We can use inductive reasoning through different stages: reasoning from sensory observation, reasoning from enumeration, analogical reasoning, discovering patterns, reasoning from and about causes, and reasoning through statistics and probability. We use inductive reasoning on daily basis. For example, when we look how people are behaving, we can realize if they are mad, happy, sad, etc. Another example is when you are sick and go to the doctor. The doctor will look for patterns (symptoms) to get the diagnosis.
In chapter 11 “Inductive Reasoning: How Do I Reason from Evidence?” by Mayfield, she describes the different types of inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is a method that uses to reach a specific conclusion. This method is similar to the scientific method. (Observation, questions, hypothesis, prediction and test) The different types of inductive reasoning are sensory observation, enumeration, analogical reasoning, discovering patterns, from and about causes, hypotheses, statistics and probability.
In addition, Reasoning by enumeration and reasoning by analogy are very similar. But in reasoning by enumeration is based on reviewing numerous instances of the same thing. For example, I love online shopping; I always purchase products online and re-sales it. Before, I purchase anything online, I always compare the prices and quality of the products with other online stores. Also, I need to count how many inventory I have on my hand and how many I need to purchase. For example, if I purchase twenty-five pencils and thirty color pencils this months, and at the end of this month. I have two pencil and twenty color pencils. Using inductive reasoning to decide which products need to purchase more.
I like the examples you give about the different ways we use inductive reasoning. Especially the example for enumeration by counting off the time until you have leave the house and run to the bus by.
Hi Ken.
You said changing gas is a good example in our life. I totally agree your point, we alway count how much i pay for each mony for gas, and compare the price between the gas station, the find the cheap gas.
Hi Caresse, I agree with you that inductive reason is use most in the science and math. In science, the scientists use scientific method to discover new information or missing information. I think that we use scientific method everyday in our life too. For example: going to see the doctor. First, observe, conditions symptoms (doctor listens to your chest, looks down your throat) predict: condition or illness (might have strep throat) perform tests (throat swab) analyze results (doctor look at test results).
In chapter 11: "Inductive Reasoning: How do I reason from evidence", Mayfield states that “Inductive reasoning is a method used to discover new information or to supply missing information". Also, inductive reasoning is a method though a set of observation and examination to get a conclusion, even the theory or general law. In addition, she expresses that induction is a process of reasoning which can be done though reasoning from sensory observation, enumeration, analogical reasoning, causal reasoning, and pattern recognition. In our daily life, we always use inductive reasoning. For example, I need to buy a car, then I must do some research about the features of a car like the engine, appearance, wheel, etc. Based on the observation, I can determine which car is better, and go to the automotive company to try the car. After driving the car, I can know that whether the car really have the features that I need, and the car is suitable for me or not. Through the process, I can able to buy a suitable car for myself.
Your post is always great; I agree with you that we are using inductive reasoning in my daily life. I really enjoy reading your post since you provide detail explanation about the inductive reasoning. Also, the examples are good because they are the things that happen in our life all the time such as “When I go to Costco, I might sometimes eat some fee sample of food, and see whether it is good or not”.
“Inductive reasoning is a method used to discover new information or to supply missing information” as it shows in chapter 11. To sense, to predict, and to discover are what we always do every day. In my lives, I use inductive reasoning to examine new things that around me. I also use inductive reasoning of “reasoning from sensory observation” such as sight, touch, smell, and taste to observe, make prediction and to think. For example, when I smell something about food or hear my mom’s sound from the kitchen, I can predict that dinner is ready. In addition, when I see a lot of dust on my desk, I start to think that how many days I did not clear up my bedroom. Inductive reasoning makes people to find out the conclusion by observing.
After reading the chapter “Inductive Reasoning: How Do I Reason from Evidence?”, I learn that inductive reasoning require us to observe, test, gather data, record the finding and draw a conclusion. A hypothesis is a preliminary conclusion which is based on inductive reasoning. There are many ways for us to reasoning, such as “sensory observation, enumeration, analogical reasoning, pattern recognition, causal reasoning and statistical reasoning.” In my daily life, I often use sensory observation to make assessments and evaluations. I remembered that when I planned to move out to other apartment, I spent a lot of time to make observation because I was not familiar with the new environment, and I was not sure which apartment I should rent. I would observe the entire room and asked the neighbors to get more information, and I would compare many rooms before I make a decision.
Inductive reasoning is using our known information to produce a conclusion. The known information would come from various resources, such as our senses, counting, statistic, data, comparison, causation or outcome, supposition, etc. We use inductive reasoning a lot in our lives. For example, when I go shop for an pair of shoes, I will browsing the products in the store, focusing on the types of shoes I want due to the reason of a substitution of the old one or my desire of a new trendy one, pre-thinking how to match clothes, figuring out the average price through similar shoes, getting material information to determine its worthiness, try on to compare the size; and at last, I can determine which one is the best pair of shoes to purchase. My process of purchasing a pair of shoes contains reasoning from sensory observation, reasoning from and about causes, reasoning with hypotheses, reasoning through statistics and probability, analogical reasoning, and discovering pattern.
Hi, Xiaomei Li
I like you example which talks about online shopping and I do the same thing when I shop online. I like to compare the prices and the qualities of the products with other stores. After the comparison, I will know that if the price and the quality are good or not.
Hello ruiqi chen,
I like reading your post, and I agree with your idea about that “we can use inductive reasoning to find new information to supply missing information.” It is true that inductive reasoning can help us to get new information, and we often use this method in our daily lives. I also like your example of inductive reasoning. From your post, I knew that you get conclusion through your own experience and feeling.
Hi, Chun Wing Wan (Andrew),
I like your post. You provided individual example for each reasoning, which helps me to better understand it; especially, the example of Discovering Patterns.
Inductive reasoning is a way that we use to discover new information or find out missing information from things we observe or things we already know. Mostly, everything happens and exists with hidden reasons. Inductive reasoning can lead us to reach them through the evidence we gather. We start to know something when we observe and analyze. Once we come out with conclusion from observation, data or cause, we are making inductive reasoning. Actually we are doing this every day. For example, when I cross an intersection and see several small plastic pieces of a car bumper at a corner, I infer there was a car accident here in the past few days. This is reasoning from sensory observation, and it may be the one that people use most frequently in daily life. Besides this, there are more methods of inductive reasoning, just like reasoning from Enumeration and Analogical Reasoning. However, reasoning may not be reliable if without testing. For instance, Tom told that he would give me a call today, and I have been waiting for it almost half day. When I notice I got a missed call, I think it must be Tom before the phone shows it. But after it shown, I find it’s Peter. Therefore,I think that persuasive inductive reasoning needs to show strong evidence that is examined.
Your post is really organized, clear and interesting. You give good examples for each method of inductive reasoning, and it helps me understand them better.
Whichever method of inductive reasoning people use in life, they make points or conclusions based on the information they already know. They discover more through inductive reasoning.
Inductive Reasoning in chapter 11 shows that the conclusion could be from fact, observation, enumeration, sensory, discovering, analogical reasoning. For example, if I want to buy a book for my history class, I will check the title of the books in the bookstore or school website. After collecting all the information, I will go to ebay or amazon to buy the books that I need to buy for my course. Base on techniques in Chapter 11, the book I got from are half of the price cheaper that have on the bookstore.
I agree with your analogical reasoning example to use for buying shoes. I also use this sample when I want to buy a computer. I will look for a price, function, an appearance and the brand name so that I could find the one that fit me the best.
Hey Jingrong,
Nice example on the car accident,that can also be a seen as a evaluation through sensory observation of inductive reasoning. Anything we witnessed is based on sensory observation. I too agreed persuasive inductive reasoning needs to show strong evidence that is examined, I believe that is why we need inductive reasoning to make effective assessments or evaluations of our lives.
From the reading, inductive reasoning is a state where you observe, identify, record the data to come up with an conclusion. Inductive reasoning uses the 5 senses to conclude the examination consisting of hearing, touching, tasting, smelling and feeling. One of the inductive reasoning example I would be using in my daily life is when I go grocery shopping picking out which fruits or vegetable would be the freshers before I purchase. It requires me to touch it to know if it's too ripe or sour, or the smell if it was left out in the sun too long, etc. I would also hear other fellow grocery shopper of their experience of buying such items.
Hanan, we have really similar examples of inductive reasoning. But yes, having to buy any sorts of item or food do requires inductive reasoning to pick the best outcome of the product. I made my mistake from experience picking a bag of orange that was sour because I didn't take the time to touch it to see if it was soft enough indicating if it was ripe or not. Nice example.
After reading chapter 11 in the text book, I think that inductive reasoning is to find and get more information to fulfill the missing information. According chapter 11, she said “Inductive reasoning is a method used to discover new information or to supply missing information. In my lives, I often use inductive reasoning from sensory observation. For example, if I want to buy a new laptop. I always do a lot of research on laptop. I will visit many electric stores, and start comparing different laptops. I will compare the price, function, and the quality of laptops. Then I will make a decision which laptop I am going to buy. Therefore, inductive reasoning is to find out the conclusion by observing.
Hi Crystal,
I think that your example is very good, and I had similar experiences. Before we make the decision, we used to compare with other similar stuffs, and do a survey on that, so we can make a better decision.
Thank you.
Inductive reasoning is to draw conclusion by observation from daily life and carrying test. I think that inductive reasoning can be used in every aspect of life. For example, it can be used in scientific aspect like medical use. Scientists and doctors collect different symptoms that patients have through observation. Then, they will carry several kinds of test to find out the common symptoms. And, they will get the conclusion like coughing and running nose are symptoms of Flu. After that, every patient that has similar symptoms will be cured by certain kinds of medicine.
Hi Wing,
I like your example about buying computers. Besides doing research on which computer is better, sometimes we would go to the store and try those computers out. I think this can be considered as the testing part of the inductive reasoning.
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