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Chapter Objectives
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Following are the main learning objectives from the chapter. To help you coordinate your studies, these objectives are organized into sub-sections (10-1, 10-2, etc.).



Objective 10-1
Understand what inductive arguments are.

  • Know the definition of an inductive argument.
  • Understand how every inductive argument uses a sample to come to know a target, or visa versa.

Objective 10-2
Know what inductive syllogisms, inductive generalizations, and analogical arguments are and how they differ.

Objective 10-3
Learn the proper use of samples.

  • Know the definition of samples.
  • Understand what makes a sample biased or representative.

Objective 10-4
Grasp the strategy and method of formal inductive arguments.

  • Understand how a political poll is administered.
  • Understand the purpose of random selection in setting up a generalization.
  • Master use of the terms "error margin" and "confidence level" and know how they are related to sample size.

Objective 10-5
Understand how all the formal properties of full-scale scientific inquiries also apply to everyday inductive reasoning.

Objective 10-6
Be familiar with the fallacies and other failings that can plague inductive reasoning.

  • Know what the fallacies of hasty generalization, biased generalization, anecdotal evidence, and illicit inductive conversions are.
  • Understand what ills can befall polls: the self-selected sample, the slanted question.
  • See how the principle called the law of large numbers is crucial to assessing inductive arguments.
  • Differentiate between the law of large numbers and the gambler's fallacy.







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