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Abductive reasoning involves forming and testing hypotheses based on available information. It is useful in developing hypotheses for testing and is used in various fields. It is similar to inductive reasoning but only involves developing a hypothesis based on limited data. It is commonly used in day-to-day decisions and by scientists to develop hypotheses for testing.
Abductive reasoning is a form of reasoning based on forming and testing hypotheses using the best available information. In many cases, it is synonymous with “educated guessing,” the process of guessing based on a reasoned analysis of available information. Abductive reasoning starts from the observation of a phenomenon for which there is no immediate and clear explanation. One can then use this form of reasoning to develop an explanation sufficient to describe the observed phenomenon, although it should be noted that, without further testing, this explanation is only sufficient, not necessarily accurate. Abductive reasoning is useful in developing hypotheses for testing, but it is also used for various purposes in artificial intelligence, philosophy, and a variety of other fields.
Deductive, inductive and abductive reasoning are the three most used and most useful forms of reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves reasoning from a general rule to a specific conclusion. Inductive reasoning involves developing the most probable general rule from a set of specific observations. Scientific experimentation, which tends to involve the observation of controlled phenomena to determine rules of physical behavior, is based on inductive reasoning. Abductive reasoning is similar to inductive reasoning, but it only involves developing a hypothesis based on what limited data is available at any given time, before detailed testing and rigorous observation.
Many of the most important applications of abductive reasoning are found in the day-to-day decisions that nearly all people have to make. Most people don’t have the time or energy to undertake detailed scientific investigation before making any given decision, so they use their available knowledge to choose the best course based on educated guesses. Jurors, for example, use such reasoning when making decisions in court because they have to rely on the best available evidence, which is usually not sufficient to be considered scientifically sufficient for a conclusive judgment. Medical professionals also use this form of guesswork when making decisions based on diagnostic test results.
Scientists commonly use abductive reasoning to develop hypotheses for testing. A cell biologist who witnesses an interesting change in an organism’s eye color after a widespread genetic mutation can, for example, use his available knowledge to develop a hypothesis about which gene is responsible for the color change. Instead of random genetic experiments, he can then focus his work on the gene he suspects is the most relevant. Without abductive reasoning, on the other hand, he probably wouldn’t even have this limited guidance.
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