Deductive vs. inductive reasoning
“All mammals have hearts. Whales are mammals. Therefore, whales have hearts.” This is an example of:
Answer B: explanation for every choice
A
Induction moves from specific observations to a general, probable conclusion.
B
Correct. Deduction moves from general premises to a specific conclusion that must be true if the premises are true.
C
Means–end analysis solves problems by reducing the difference between the current state and the goal.
D
The representativeness heuristic judges by similarity to a prototype.
TakeawayDeductive: general → specific, certain. Inductive: specific → general, probable.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps110.