The inductive method it is a form of reasoning to reach conclusions that starts from the most specific and goes to the broadest generalizations and theories. It begins with specific observations and measures to reach general conclusions..
The inductive method consists of three stages: observation, grasping / observing a pattern, and developing a theory. For example, you observe the dogs (observation), you see that they all wag their tails (pattern), all the dogs in the world wag their tails (theory). To simplify this example, a single observation has been proposed, although in science the observations are usually numerous.
In this method of reasoning, it is important that the facts examined are logical so that the ideas presented have coherence; although it should be noted that the induced theories may be incomplete or wrong, which happens because they focus only on some events and do not cover all reality.
For example, a researcher might observe the members of a basketball team, capture the pattern that they are all taller than 2 meters, and come up with the theory that humans are taller than 2 meters. In this case, the researcher focuses only on one observation, which leads him to a wrong theory..
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When people use the inductive method they resort to the following steps: observation, data comparison and after they obtain logical results, they elaborate a general explanation.
Observation is one of the most important elements when starting an inductive study, since people -in the beginning- are dedicated to examining the facts individually in order to collect the necessary data to help them justify their ideas.
For example, a student wants to analyze what is the characteristic trait of basketball players and watch what:
- Darío plays that sport and is tall.
- Maria plays basketball and is tall.
- Raúl plays in the attacker position and is tall.
Based on this information, the student will focus on studying each case separately..
Once the facts have been observed, people focus on comparing them; that is, they classify the information that they managed to record. They also expose the importance of events and link them together. See this example:
After noticing that María, Darío and Raúl play basketball, the student forms the following patterns:
- Darío is not a starter yet, but he plays basketball and is tall.
- Raúl is a starter and is also tall.
- Maria doesn't play constantly; still it's high.
- Comparison: although their training rhythms are different, Raúl, María and Darío practice the same sport and are tall. Therefore, most basketball players are tall. This is the Pattern what has been observed.
Finally, based on the observations made and the pattern captured, a theory continues to be presented. In the example of basketball players one could reach the theory that "all basketball players are tall".
In addition, the researcher or student could detail the theory. Once he concluded that basketball players are tall, the researcher explains why:
- A tall basketball player can score more points as he reaches the hoop more quickly and easily.
- A tall basketball player can better block his opponent, preventing him from shooting..
Inductive reasoning stands out for motivating people to carry out new research on the same topic, either to add content or to contradict theories that have already been exposed. Therefore, the objective of this method is that people learn continuously.
A fundamental aspect of the inductive method is that its conclusions can be unreliable. That is why it is said that they are probable, but they do not necessarily imply a truth.
This occurs because it is possible that the particular events have not been well examined, which would cause problems when making comparisons and establishing conclusions, since the truth of the facts would be being altered..
This method acts as a kind of puzzle, where people examine the ways in which the different pieces are found in order to put them together to form a total figure..
For this reason, inductive thinking starts from particular facts to reach general conclusions. On the contrary, the deductive method starts from general premises to reach specific conclusions..
In other words, before developing an inductive approach, people evaluate a number of particular events. The goal is for the subjects to analyze each event separately and then link them together in order to create an overall conclusion..
- Observation 1: Sara noticed that there was no electricity in her apartment since the early hours.
- Observation 2: Sara visited her neighbors on the same floor and found that they did not have electricity either.
- Pattern: Since there were no lights in the homes, Sara thought the fault could be in the main power switch.
- Theory: Sara stated that the entire building was without electricity.
Following this example, it can be established that Sara's argument is inductive, because she focused on her experience (particular event) and explored various departments in order to reach a certain conclusion..
Over the last few years, some specialists have examined the characteristic aspects of scarlet macaws that were found in the jungles of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. His observations were as follows:
- Observation 1: When they reach their adult life, these birds measure between 70 cm or 105 cm.
- Observation 2: As they feed on nuts, mango and berries, these birds have sturdy beaks.
- Observation 3: there are no feathers around their eyes.
- Pattern: Although these birds are found in different regions, they are related by living in the wild and inhabiting tropical spaces, as well as by their great stature, strength and slender figures..
- Theory: these birds are the largest macaw species; In addition, they have one of the strongest beaks, because with them they can break wood, coconut and hard seeds.
As can be seen, the researchers started from the observation of particular facts or characteristics (such as the color, feeding and size of the birds) to establish a theory and general conclusions..
A group of scientists studied the behaviors of some people who did not sleep adequately and found that:
- Observation 1: lack of sleep causes people to not eat well.
- Observation 2: Lack of sleep causes people to react aggressively, forget easily and have hallucinations.
- Observation 3: Lack of sleep causes people to have less energy during the day, which is why they take longer to do their activities.
- Pattern: in a general sense, lack of sleep threatens people's physical and mental stability.
- Theory: sleeping little badly affects health: people lose concentration, feel weak and confused, even increasing the risk of suffering an accident. Therefore, lack of sleep can be a global problem..
The inductive method is not only used by researchers and scientists; we also use it in daily life. This is seen in the following example.
María José observed that:
- Observation 1: in its urbanization, the markets were very expensive.
- Observation 2: the payment for the condo was very high.
- Observation 3: transport and pharmacies had excessively high prices.
- Employer: María José considered that all the businesses and associations in her urbanization were very expensive.
- Theory: María José concluded that she lived in an excessively expensive urbanization.
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