Inferential Reasoning

Inferential Reasoning

Inferential Reasoning refers to organizing knowledge for understanding by making logical connections between pieces of information, using deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and abductive reasoning to draw conclusions.


Deductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning is the process of forming a logical conclusion using one or two premises (statements) (this used for the scientific method!). Deductive Reasoning operates under the presumption that the statements used are true.

The logic follows:

  1. A = B (first premise)

  2. B = C (second premise)

  3. Therefore, A = C (conclusion)

Example:

  1. A king cobra is a snake (first premise)

  2. A snake a reptile (second premise)

  3. A king cobra is a reptile (conclusion)

INductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is a logical thinking that takes observations to use as evidence to draw a conclusion (used by lawyers).

Example:

  1. Every time Johnny eat peanuts he starts to break out. (observation)

  2. Johnny is allergic to peanuts. (conclusion)


ABductive Reasoning

Abductive Reasoning is a logical reasoning that uses a set of incomplete observations to come up with the most likeliest conclusion. It's an education guess in which certainty isn't 100%. Jurors use abductive reasoning in court, weighing the available evidence to come to their judgement.

Example:

You live in an apartment with 3 roommates. Someone plays a prank on you while you sleep, drawing on your face. You accuse your roommate Sam of doing it knowing they like to play pranks. However, You didn't see Sam do it, it could have been done by a different roommate. But with your limited evidence it's reasonable to draw the conclusion that Sam is the culprit.

How it connects to the classroom?

  • Inferential thinking helps with essential skills needed in an academics environment such as, generalizing, categorizing, and comprehending.

  • Readers have to make inferences regarding implied information in a text to comprehend it.

  • It builds problem solving skills requiring students retrieve knowledge (from their working or long term memory) to be adapted for new situations.