| INDUCTION moves from a limited observation
to a probable conclusion.
This reasoning process involves three steps: 1) making a LIMITED OBSERVATION,
2) INFERRING the broader implications of the observation, and 3) drawing
a PROBABLE CONCLUSION.
GENERALIZATION: A conclusion which
covers a number of particular cases, not all of which have been directly
observed.
UNIVERSAL GENERALIZATIONS (ALL-NONE) relate characteristics
to the entire population.
QUALIFIED GENERALIZATIONS (MOST-FEW) relate characteristics
to a part of the population which is defined descriptively.
STATISTICAL GENERALIZATIONS (3/4-75%) relate characteristics
to a part of the population which is defined as a ratio.
CONFUSED CONCLUSIONS are conclusions
which have a low probability (or no probability) of being true because
they are
based on a numerically insignificant sample,
based on a nonrepresentative sample, and/or
based on an incorrect analysis of the sample.
CAUSE/EFFECT ANALYSIS is a reasoning
process for determining what brought about an observable
conclusion.
METHOD OF AGREEMENT determines the
cause by listing all of the possible factors, choosing the one factor
which all the cases have in common, and naming that factor the cause.
METHOD OF DIFFERENCE determines the
cause by listing possible factors, eliminating all factors that also
occur in cases where the effect is not observed, and naming the factor
that remains the cause.
JOINT METHOD is a method of finding
the cause that combines the methods of agreement and difference. First, by the method of agreement,
the common factors are found.
Then, by the method of difference, all common factors but one
are eliminated.
METHOD OF VARIATIONS is a method
where the cause is BOTH IDENTIFIED and ITS STRENGTH DETERMINED by
noticing variations in the effect it produces.
METHOD OF RESIDUES is a method where
a list of POSSIBLE CAUSES is made first; then by testing or observation,
all causes but one are eliminated. This residual cause is named as
the actual cause.
An ANALOGY points out a correspondence
between things that may not otherwise be alike in order to show a
similarity between them.
An INDUCTIVE ANALOGY compares two
things or events of different types.
If it is found that the two types are alike in some
respects, then, one may infer that they may also be alike in other
respects as well.
IRRELEVANCE refers to something not
connected with the matter at hand. |
