Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP - Archives

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 2, 2003
Latest Update: July 2, 2003
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

Site Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individual Authors, July 2003.
"Fair use" encouraged.

The best example I've ever found for remembering inductive and deductive reasoning is teaching French to little children. If you start with the pieces and move to the whole, you are using inductive reasoning. If you start from the whole, and define it by its parts, you're using deductive reasoning.

Notice that the first example "a book is many pages" is inductive. Starts from the whole, explains it by the sum of the parts.

In algebra:

B = p

Book = Sum of pages
whole = sum of parts - induction

We could also say the "many pages is a book": deductive

p = B

Sum of pages = Book
sum of parts = whole - deduction

The words themselves are confusing, induction and deduction. Not terribly important that you memorize them. If you use them often they will come to you. Otherwise, no one is likely to examine you on the words themselves.

But it is particularly important to remember the differences in the pictures. If you've taught a little child the way to say "a book is many pages," and you've found that she learns it more easily and quickly when you use the many pages equals a book form, then when you want to teach her about the word "zoo," you should try: "many animals equals a zoo." It's also important to have her practice the other process, so that she becomes comfortable with "a book is many pages."

When you ask and answer questions in class, you are exhibiting reasoning patterns like this. An attentive and well trained teacher can figure out precisely how to take you to the next level of reasoning. But sometimes teachers are tired and overworked, and they may not be so attentive. That's why you need to understand yourself so you can follow your own reasoning patterns and get better help. And this might give you a little more patience with colleagues whom you denigrated for not understanding what you wanted them to. Try switching from inductive to deductive reasoning and back. They might be smarter than you think, just stuck in one reasoning pattern.

Now, what's concept mapping? Look at the lines connecting the two teaching units: books and zoos, whole and parts. A concept map is an analysis just like the one I drew for you that let's you follow how students or learners or fellow workers are learning. By listening carefully to what they say or watching carefully what they do, you can usually understand which part of the reasoning process has gone astray.

If you're in a hurry, and deductive reasoning works best to get your idea across, use parts to whole reasoning. If you have time, use both inductive and deductive reasoning so you and your friends become more comfortable with both kinds.

Now go read an article on advance organizers and concept mapping. It should make better sense now. jeanne

---

---