Inductive Reasoning--A Literature Review and Empirically Oriented Conceptualization: Appendix A.

This paper reviewed (a) conceptualization, (b) research, and (c) theories of inductive reasoning and, in turn, proposed both a behaviorally-oriented definition and matching process model. The overall conclusion was that, in spite of the pervasiveness and importance of induction as a knowledge generation process, research and theoretical activities indicate diverse psychological conceptualizations. Psychologically oriented definitions of induction reflected original philosophical ambiguities concerning empirical validation of both the nature and evaluation of epistemological processes. Even with attempts to redefine, rename, and subjugate induction to deductive logic, the inferred processes of induction exist in the scientific method, and in problem solving definitions and their models. Giving closure and direction to various conceptualizations, the requirement of stimulus incompleteness was offered as a primary condition for defining induction. A review of research in related areas suggested that stimulus, organismic, and response variables all contribute to what may be considered rule-determining behavior. The proposed model, emphasizing encoding and hypothesizing behaviors, was supported by experimental research findings. An overall implication was that additional, specific research is required prior to constructing a curriculum for reasoning inductively. (Author)