John s hair was uncombed. John overslept The reasoning process here is directly opposite to that used in deductive syllogisms. The most basic kind of inductive reasoning is called induction by enumeration , or, more commonly, generalization . When you use specific observations as the basis of a general conclusion, you are said to be making an inductive leap . Unlike deductive fallacies, which are easy to point to, inductive fallacies tend to be judgement calls.
Different people have different opinions about the line between correct and incorrect induction.
The fallacy most often associated with generalization is hasty generalization , which you commit when you make an inductive leap that is not based on sufficient information. Look at the following six statements and try to determine when the line is crossed. Microserf is a sexist company They have over 5,000 employees and not a single one of them is female. Microserf is a sexist company. Though all of them were equally qualified, all of the men got jobs there and none of the women did.