Practice Quiz

CLEP Intro to Sociology

Category - Methods

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Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning?
  1. Since the South is called the Bible Belt, Jan believes that more people there go to church each Sunday
  2. Maria observes that children who attend year-round school have higher test scores, so she believes they lose less knowledge during shorter breaks.
  3. A survey taken at Mary’s bridge club shows that many of the players’ parents also played bridge.
  4. Frank is studying high school graduation rates to see what factors may contribute to lower or higher rates.
  5. Sara found that the rate of people applying for food stamps in her town increased for three years after the local factory closed, so she believes that many of those who lost jobs were not successful in gaining new ones.
Explanation
Answer: A - Jan’s conclusion that more people in the South attend church each week, based upon the fact that the South is called the Bible Belt, is an example of deductive reasoning. In deductive reasoning, the researcher deduces a possible truth from a generally held belief. B and E are examples of inductive reasoning, where conclusions are derived from observation or research.
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