Question

Molly knows a dog has four legs. She sees a cow that also has four legs so she calls it a dog. This is an example of ______.

1) Confirmation bias
2) Deductive reasoning
3) Inductive reasoning
4) False analogy

Answer 1

Molly's identification of a cow as a dog due to both having four legs is an example of a false analogy, which is a logical fallacy of incorrect comparison.

Step-by-step explanation:

Molly's mistake is an example of a false analogy. This is because she uses the observation that both dogs and cows have four legs to conclude that cows must be dogs. This reasoning incorrectly assumes that having four legs is a defining characteristic of a dog. The correct logical category for this error is a fallacy, specifically a false analogy, rather than inductive or deductive reasoning, or confirmation bias.

While inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on observation, and deductive reasoning involves applying general rules to specific cases to draw conclusions, a false analogy is an incorrect comparison where one assumes that because two things are alike in one or more respects, they must be alike in other respects as well.