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Inferences and Assumptions

            Life is an entangled web of decisions, both good and bad. Oftentimes one will arrive to a decision based on prior knowledge, a judgement based on events from the past. An assumption is made when one subconsciously uses prior knowledge to form a judgment about a current situation[CITATION Pau11 l 1033 ]. Once a judgment is reached, an inference consciously presents itself and a decision has been made[ CITATION Pau11 l 1033 ]. Humans make assumptions and inferences regularly, often without any conscious awareness; that is what makes assumptions so questionable. People tend to form biased opinions or assumptions without as much as a second thought. Even though assumptions and inferences can be biased and questionable, they are essential to communication and the decision making process to which one's life depends.
             Assumptions are beliefs formed by something previously experienced and are rarely questioned, whereas inferences are formed from one's assumptions and while sometimes questioned may be proper or improper[ CITATION Pau11 l 1033 ]. For example, one might assume that all car accidents are caused by careless people. This is belief based on the idea that if every driver were paying attention while driving, accidents could be avoided. This assumption is not often debated and leads to an inference. Upon witnessing a car accident, one would infer that one or more drivers was not paying attention and caused the accident. The problem with this assumption and inference is that unforeseen and unpreventable events occur regularly and that is not taken into account. Perhaps a deer ran out in front of a driver causing him or her to stop immediately and the following driver to hit the person attempting to avoid the deer. No amount of attention could ever prevent every single accident from happening and yet assumptions are made and inferences are met about the car accident.
             One might assume that high crime areas are riddled with drugs.


Essays Related to Inferences and Assumptions

1. Let it Pour

Critical Thing Article Summary and Critique Paper Critical Thinking: Distinguishing Between Inferences and Assumptions Critical Thinking: Distinguishing Between Inferences and Assumptions This article is one of several found on the site at the University of Phoenix On-line web-site. ... This is a summary of Inferences versus Assumptions and gaining command over thinking by making students become aware of the inferences and assumptions. ... The difference between inferences and assumptions is explained in this article. ... Inferences versus Assumptions: An In...

  • Word Count: 413
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. The outside world's inferences about our ethnic identity

In conclusion, we can understand that world's inferences can influence any group of people who have common characteristics, such as Christians and Muslims. Most of them apply only negative assumptions for each other. But, it would be better if people from different groups could apply positive assumptions, too. ...

  • Word Count: 526
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Critical Thinking and Decision Making

From a series of facts, or from an absence of fact, we make inferences. Testing the validity of our inferences, we can make assumptions. From our assumptions, we form our opinions. ... And when we want to challenge the arguments of others, we employ Critical Analysis (through which we challenge the observations, facts, inferences, and so on, in the arguments that we are analyzing)" (Gocsik 2003). ...

  • Word Count: 647
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Since the very core of critical thinking is identifying and challenging assumptions then analysis, interpretation, evaluation and inference are the very skills they mastered. ... Then there is picking out the main assumption in a newspaper editorial and examining the various reasons the editor offers in support of this assumption. Or what about identifying unstated assumptions then developing a format to represent the conclusion with reasons to support or criticize it. ... Finally we have inference that can be best described as querying evidence and drawing conclusions. ... Now suppose...

  • Word Count: 1821
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. Philosophy of Purva Mimamsa

The assumption that God created the universe can be described as a postulation of implication. ... This element of doubt, according to Prabhakara helps in the distinguishing of presumption from the inference. There are doubts in the inference stage of creation; it is common knowledge that from the undoubted perception of smoke there can be inference of fire. This sign should be doubt free, however, in this story of creation there is doubt in the presumption which means there will be automatically a doubt in the inference. This repetition ensures that presumption removes doubts, and in the proc...

  • Word Count: 949
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

6. CRITICAL THINKING AND PERCEPTION

Critical thinking is the process of examining underlying assumptions about current evidence and interpreting and evaluating arguments for the purpose of reaching a conclusion from a new perspective (Sullivan & Decker, 1992). Tricia Devin (personal communication, June 27, 2001) defines critical thinking as, "purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based. ... Identification of irrelevan...

  • Word Count: 899
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Manipulation in Memento

The reverse narrative of Christopher Nolan's Memento manipulates the audience to make incorrect inferences about the characters. ... This sympathy that the viewer feels for Leonard Shelby is the way that Christopher Nolan manipulates the audience and therefore causes incorrect inferences about this character. ... The audience then thinks that they have figured out the basic plot of the movie and makes assumptions about how the movie will begin. ... The character of Natalie is the most effective way that Christopher Nolan manipulates the audience to make the wrong assumption about a cha...

  • Word Count: 1389
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Decision making

It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihood's, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. ... Other materials within the course that define critical thinking and decision-making are managerial problems, evaluating assumptions, identifying assumptions, etc. Critical thinkers distinguish between fact and opinion; ask pertinent questions; make detailed observa...

  • Word Count: 657
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. The Mask of Beauty

There are some motivational and driving forces, physically, morally that hinders a strong deep or close association or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring this association may be based on inference, love, solidarity, interaction or some social commitment. ... This is an assumption that less beautiful people are mean, sneaky, dishonest, and antisocial. Most people would respond to this topic by saying that they would never make such a crazy assumption about any person just because of their looks. ...

  • Word Count: 576
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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