Which of the following is an inductive argument? Michael and Laura and their two children make a family of four. Michael and Laura have blond hair. Their children have blond hair, too. Thus, all members of the family have blond hair.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The argument presented is inductive. Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations or evidence. In this case, the argument begins with the observation that Michael and Laura, the parents, have blond hair. It then extends this observation to conclude that their children, who also have blond hair, must share this characteristic. Finally, the argument concludes that all members of the family have blond hair.
The reasoning in this argument relies on a pattern observed in the specific family members (Michael, Laura, and their children) and generalizes it to the entire family. Inductive arguments do not guarantee the truth of their conclusion, even if all the premises are true. This is because inductive reasoning is based on probability rather than certainty.
In this case, while it may seem reasonable to assume that all members of the family have blond hair because the parents and children do, this generalization could be incorrect if other family members, not included in the observation, do not have blond hair. For example, if another child or relative in the family has a different hair color, the conclusion would no longer hold true. Therefore, this argument is inductive because it infers a broad conclusion about the entire family based on limited specific observations.
Inductive reasoning is common in everyday life, where people often make conclusions based on patterns or trends. However, the key difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is that inductive conclusions are not guaranteed to be true, even if the premises are accurate.