1.

Stratton goes to his first day at classes at PCC and concludes he is going to like his anthropology
course. You can just tell, he says to his girlfriend lat er, its gonna be a great course. The teacher
brought up all these interesting subjects, and it was just the first day!
Inductive generalization
sample: Stratton's first day of class
target: anthropology class
property in question: he will enjoy the course

2.

The cocktail Betsy that orders before dinner is watery, so she decides not to eat at the restaurant
after all. I dont think they can make a decent dinner if they cant even make a decent martini, she
mutters.

Analogical argument
analogues: watery cocktail, decent martini
basis of comparison: the dinner will not be decent because the martini isn't
feature in question: the dinner will not be decent because the martini isn't

3.

Stortz has heard from his friends that the folks in Nort h Carolina are pretty friendly, so he looks
forward to going through there on his bike trip.

Inductive generalization
sample: folks in North Carolina
target: Stortz going to North Carolina
property in question: if people in North Carolina are friendly

4.

Agnes has read that fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed people are more likely to develop problems from
over-exposure to the sun, but she discounts these reports. After all, she reasons, my Uncle Bob
works outside all day on a boat, and Ive never heard of him having problems with sun exposure,
even though he is blonde, blue-eyed, and fair-skinned.

Inductive generalization
sample: fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed people
target: Uncle Bob
property in question: if thes e people are more likely to develop problems from over-exposure to the sun

5.

Al C. Holic reads a report in the newspaper that a daily glass of wine or two might be good for the
heart, so he decides to get hammered. Why in hell not, he says. If one glass of wine is good for
you, then surely fi ve or six is really good for you!

Inductive generalization
sample: a daily glass of wine or two
target: five of six glasses of wine
property in question: if more glasses of wine is good for the heart

6.

Overheard: You dont think this country is in a slump? Get real. George here was laid off before
Memorial Day, and Howies wife and a whole bunch of ot her people lost their jobs when the Safeway
over on Jeffrey closed down. Thes e are tough times.

Inductive generalization
sample: George, Howie's wife, a whole bunch of other people
target: the country
property in question: if the country is a slump because people loss their jobs when Safeway on Jeffrey
closed down.

7.

Fewer than 20% of college professors think of themselves as shy, according to a new study by two
psychologists. We were surprised by this result because other studies have report ed almost 50% of
adult Americans think of themselves as shy, said Jane Smalley, professor at Chico State University.
College professors are sometimes considered an int roverted group and so we expected perhaps a
majority to think of themselves as shy, she said. Smalley and her associate John Mason interviewed
150 college professors who were identified by their deans and other administrators at 25 American

universities as typical faculty. The universities were selected by a random procedure from a list of
American colleges and universities.
Inductive generalization
sample: 50% of adult americans
target: college professors
property in question: if 20 % of college professors think of themselves as shy

8.

Juanita has taken six courses at Valley Community College, and she has a grade average of B so
far. All the courses she has taken have been in sociology and psychology. Shes thinking of enrolling
in another course next term, and she expects to make at least a B in whatever she takes. Suppose
that when she took the previous courses, Juanita had done all her studying alone because she didnt
know any of the other students at Valley but that now she knows several good students and plans to
study with them when she takes her next course. Would her argument be stronger or weaker than if
she were planning to study alone? Discuss.

Juanita's argument would be stronger if she were planning to study alone because she had done this in
the past and was effective.

9.

A random survey of 1000 callers to a drug-help hotline produced the following results: 535 of the
callers were heavy users of cocaine freebase, amphetamines, or heroine; 220 were recreational
users of cocaine or marijuana, 92 were not drug users at all, and the remainder refused to answer.
This survey proves that most people who use drugs are not of the recreational type.

Inductive generalization
sample: 100 callers
target: people who use drugs
property in question: if most of those who use drugs are not for the "recreational" type.

10. Goldman may have won the Supervisor of the Year award, but that just means they didnt look very
hard for a winner. I know a couple of people who work in Goldmans division and they say that hes a
real pain to work for. Id sooner trust my friends than some awards committee.

Analogical argument
analogues: people who say he's a pain to work for
basis of comparison: Goldman
feature in question: if Goldman deserved the award.