Question

Which type of reasoning is used in the following statement? The wrestlers I have seen are flexible. Therefore, all wrestlers must be flexible.
a. ideal reasoning
b. faulty reasoning
c. inductive reasoning
d. deductive reasoning

Answer 1

It is inductive reasoning: generalizing from a small sample to a bigger population. Deductive reasoning would be, if the sentences were in the other order. It's also not faulty, as it's not contradictory.

Answer 2

c. Inductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning is a logical process in which we make broad generalizations or "theories" from the specific observation of an action, event, person, etc. such as in the statement given. The narrator saw an ability (flexibility) in a specific group of people (the wrestlers they have seen), and then determines that all wrestlers must have that same ability.

This type of reasoning is the opposite of deductive reasoning which goes from a general assumption or hypothetical theory to a specific observation "All wrestlers are flexible. Therefore, those men sitting there are flexible too"