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7 Types of Reasoning

The document discusses 7 types of reasoning: deductive, inductive, analogical, abductive, cause-and-effect, critical thinking, and decompositional reasoning. It provides definitions and examples of each type. Deductive reasoning involves deriving logical conclusions from general premises. Inductive reasoning uses specific observations to derive general conclusions. Analogical reasoning finds similarities between things to understand them. Abductive and cause-and-effect reasoning look for logical linkages between events. Critical thinking involves extensive analysis to reach definitive conclusions. Decompositional reasoning breaks things into constituent parts for understanding.

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Rafaqat Ali
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3K views

7 Types of Reasoning

The document discusses 7 types of reasoning: deductive, inductive, analogical, abductive, cause-and-effect, critical thinking, and decompositional reasoning. It provides definitions and examples of each type. Deductive reasoning involves deriving logical conclusions from general premises. Inductive reasoning uses specific observations to derive general conclusions. Analogical reasoning finds similarities between things to understand them. Abductive and cause-and-effect reasoning look for logical linkages between events. Critical thinking involves extensive analysis to reach definitive conclusions. Decompositional reasoning breaks things into constituent parts for understanding.

Uploaded by

Rafaqat Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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7 Types of Reasoning: Definitions and

Examples

The ability to reason using logic is an important skill for anyone seeking to grow in their
professional life. It's essential to success in positions from entry-level to corporate and
help define your leadership abilities. Understanding the different types of reasoning and
how to apply them can help you excel as a professional, contribute meaningfully at work
and gain the respect of your superiors. In this article, we discuss the concept of
reasoning, the seven types of reasoning and when to use each one.

What is reasoning?
Reasoning is the ability to assess things rationally by applying logic based on new or
existing information when making a decision or solving a problem. Reasoning allows
you to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of two or more courses of action before
choosing the one with the most benefit or the one that suits your needs. It also helps
you solve problems, handle uncertainty, verify claims and assess situations carefully to
ensure the decision you make is in your best interest.

Reasoning comes in diverse forms, from everyday decision-making processes to


powerful algorithms that power artificial intelligence. You can find formal reasoning in
established disciplines such as mathematics, logic, artificial intelligence and philosophy.
Throughout all circumstances, however, you can categorize reasoning into seven basic
types. Understanding the types of reasoning can help you evaluate and advance your
decision-making process.

7 types of reasoning
Here are seven types of reasoning and examples of situations when they're best used:

1. Deductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning is a type of reasoning that uses formal logic and observations to
prove a theory or hypothesis. In deductive reasoning, you start with an assumption and
then make observations or rational thoughts to validate or refute the assumption. You
can use deductive reasoning to apply a general law to a specific case or test an
induction. The results of deductive reasoning typically have a logical certainty.

Deductive reasoning moves from generalities to specific conclusions


.  For example, A is equal to B. B is also equal to C. Given those two
statements, you can conclude A is equal to C using deductive reasoning.

Now, let’s look at a real-life example.

1. All dolphins are mammals.


2. All mammals have kidneys.
Using deductive reasoning, you can conclude that all dolphins have kidneys

2. Inductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning uses theories and assumptions to validate observations. In some


ways it's the opposite of deductive reasoning, as it involves reasoning from a specific
case or cases to derive a general rule. The results of inductive reasoning are not always
certain because it uses conclusions from observations to make generalizations.
Inductive reasoning is helpful for extrapolation, predictions and you're making an educated
or informed guess based on the information or data that you have.

Examples

 You’re looking at flowers in your garden and you know that your roses

bloom every year, so you can assume that they’ll bloom again this year.

 You notice that the dogs on your street bark at the mailman when he

delivers mail, so you assume that all dogs bark at mailmen.

3. Analogical reasoning

Analogical reasoning is a form of thinking that finds similarities between two or more
things and then uses those characteristics to find other qualities common to them. It's
based on the brain's tendency to notice patterns and make associations. Once the brain
recognizes a pattern, it can associate the pattern with specific things, and this leads to
analogous reasoning. Analogous thinking can help you expand your understanding by
looking for similarities between different things.
For example

 There might be life on Europa because it has an atmosphere that contains


oxygen just like the Earth.
 This novel is supposed to have a similar plot like the other one we have read, so
probably it is also very boring.
 The universe is a complex system like a watch.

4. Abductive reasoning

Abductive reasoning is a type of reasoning that uses an observation or set of


observations to reach a logical conclusion. It's similar to inductive reasoning, however,
abductive reasoning permits making best guesses to arrive at the simplest conclusions.
Abduction has applications in troubleshooting and decision-making, especially when
dealing with uncertainties. Abductive reasoning is especially useful when explaining an
observation or phenomenon that the observer has very little or no existing knowledge
about. The conclusion of abductive reasoning may not always be certain and may
require further verification. Abductive reasoning looks for cause-and-effect relationships

For example

A doctor making a diagnosis based on test results and a jury using evidence to pass
judgment on a case: in both scenarios, there is not a 100% guarantee of correctness—just the
best guess based on the available evidence.

5. Cause-and-effect reasoning

Cause-and-effect reasoning is a type of thinking in which you show the linkage between
two events. This reasoning is used to explain what may happen if an action takes place
or why things happen when some conditions are present. This type of reasoning
commonly guides everyday decision-making, in cases where people draw on personal
experience and a desire to improve. Businesses and professionals also use prediction
and forecast modeling. This type of reasoning can help people trust your arguments,
especially if you are accurate most of the time.

For example

When I add a fuel enhancer to my gas tank then the car will drive farther on one tank of
gas.

6. Critical thinking

Critical thinking involves extensive rational thought about a specific subject in order to
come to a definitive conclusion. It's helpful in fields such as computing, engineering,
social sciences and logic. Critical thinking plays a vital role in problem-solving,
especially when troubleshooting technical issues. It's used to assess the authenticity of
works of arts, literature, films and other artistic expressions. Critical thinking also plays a
vital role in mental and emotional matters, gray areas and other fields that deal with
subjects less understood.

For example, the general manager of a family restaurant hears that a bakery important
to their supply chain is about to go on strike. They order extra baked goods to freeze
and then plans a distributor they can use during the strike.

7. Decompositional reasoning

Decompositional reasoning is the process of breaking things into constituent parts to


understand the function of each component and how it contributes to the operation of
the item as a whole. By analyzing each part independently, decompositional reasoning
allows an observer to draw powerful conclusions about the whole. You find this
approach in several disciplines, including science, engineering, marketing, product
development, game development and software development.

For example

Project management utilizes decompositional reasoning in its division of a project into


components. A manager assigns each component to an individual, who is responsible
for completion and communication about integration into the project. This division
ensures the success of each component and contributes to the operation of the whole.

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