Question

What type of reasoning was Bruce using when he argued that all U.S. state capitols have domes because in his travels he saw more than a dozen capitol buildings that had domes?

a) analogical reasoning
b) reasoning from specific instances
c) reasoning from principle
d) causal reasoning

Answer 1

Bruce used reasoning from specific instances, a form of inductive reasoning, to generalize that all U.S. state capitols have domes based on his observation of several capitol buildings. Therefore, the correct option is b) reasoning from specific instances

Step-by-step explanation:

Bruce was using reasoning from specific instances when he argued that all U.S. state capitols have domes because he observed this feature in more than a dozen capitol buildings during his travels. This form of reasoning is a type of inductive inference, which involves making a generalization based on specific examples.

Inductive reasoning is the process of making broad generalizations from specific observations. Typically, a person observes a pattern, forms a hypothesis, and then makes a generalization. In contrast, deductive reasoning starts with a general statement or hypothesis and examines the possibilities to reach a specific, logical conclusion.