Which reasoning uses facts or premises to arrive at a specific conclusion?

• A. Inductive reasoning
• B. Deductive reasoning
• C. Analogical reasoning
• D. Casual reasoning

Answer: (B)

Deductive reasoning uses facts or premises to arrive at a specific conclusion. It starts with general statements or rules and, if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true as well. This is like a logical derivation you’d see in a math proof: all mammals have hearts; whales are mammals; therefore whales have hearts. The conclusion follows directly and necessarily from the given premises.

Inductive reasoning, by contrast, builds generalizations from many specific observations and is probabilistic, not certain. Analogical reasoning relies on similarities between two situations to transfer a conclusion from one to the other. Causal reasoning explains outcomes by identifying causes.

So using premises to reach a definite conclusion exemplifies deductive reasoning.