Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is an enumerative induction?
An inductive argument that reasons from premises about individual members of a group to conclusions about the group as a whole .
What is an analogical induction?
An argument making use of analogy, reasoning that because two or more things are similar in several respects, they must be similar in some further respect.
Define target group/population.
The group as a whole—the whole collection of individuals in question—is called the target population or target group.
Define sample.
The observed members of the target group
Define relevant property/property in question.
The property we’re interested in.
What makes an inductive argument strong or weak?
An inductive argument earns the label of “strong” if it renders its conclusion very likely to be true and “weak” if it fails to provide such support.
Define hasty generalization.
The fallacy of drawing a conclusion about a target group based on an inadequate sample size.
Define a representative sample.
A sample that resembles the target group in all relevant ways.
Define a biased sample.
A sample that does not properly represent the target group
Define an opinion poll.
A type of enumerative induction conducted by professional polling organizations to arrive at generalizations about different subjects.
Define random sampling.
A sample that is selected randomly from a target group in such a way as to ensure that the sample is representative.
Define margin of error.
The variation between the values derived from a sample and the true values of the whole target group.
Define confidence level (in context of enumerative inductions).
The probability that the sample will accurately represent the target group within the margin of error.
Define self-selecting sample.
An unscientific type of sample in which the members of the sample select themselves.
