Quiz on Deductive and Inductive Reasoning

What is deductive reasoning?

• A method that involves guessing without any observations

• A method that relies on incomplete observations to find the best explanation

• A method that uses a general principle to draw specific conclusions

• A method that uses specific observations to form general conclusions

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-2

Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning?

• All birds can fly. Penguins are birds. Therefore, penguins can fly.

• All mammals have backbones. Humans are mammals. Therefore, humans have backbones.

• Every dog I meet is friendly. Therefore, all dogs are friendly.

• I see fireflies every summer. Therefore, I will see them this summer.

What is inductive reasoning?

• A method that relies on complete observations to find the best explanation

• A method that involves guessing without any observations

• A method that uses a general principle to draw specific conclusions

• A method that uses specific observations to form general conclusions

Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?

• All spiders have eight legs. Tarantulas are spiders. Therefore, tarantulas have eight legs.

• All plants perform photosynthesis. A cactus is a plant. Therefore, a cactus performs photosynthesis.

• I see fireflies in my backyard every summer. Therefore, I will probably see fireflies this summer.

• All birds lay eggs. Pigeons are birds. Therefore, pigeons lay eggs.

What is abductive reasoning?

• A method that uses specific observations to form general conclusions

• A method that uses a general principle to draw specific conclusions

• A method that relies on incomplete observations to find the best explanation

• A method that involves guessing without any observations

Which of the following is an example of abductive reasoning?

• All mammals have backbones. Humans are mammals. Therefore, humans have backbones.

• Every dog I meet is friendly. Therefore, all dogs are friendly.

• The grass is wet outside. It likely rained last night.

• All birds lay eggs. Pigeons are birds. Therefore, pigeons lay eggs.

What is a syllogism in deductive reasoning?

• A method that relies on incomplete observations to find the best explanation

• A method that involves guessing without any observations

• A logical argument that uses two premises to reach a conclusion

• A method that uses specific observations to form general conclusions

Which reasoning method is described as a 'bottom-up' approach?

• Deductive reasoning

• Inductive reasoning

• Abductive reasoning

• None of the above

Which reasoning method is described as a 'top-down' approach?

• Deductive reasoning

• None of the above

• Inductive reasoning

• Abductive reasoning

What is the main limitation of inductive reasoning?

• It always leads to false conclusions

• It relies on complete observations

• It does not guarantee that the conclusion will be true

• It cannot be used in scientific methods