Question

A sociologist observes the work-seeking habits of individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. After weeks of observation, trends emerge and the researcher forms a theory about the behaviors of this group. Is the sociologist in the example using a deductive or inductive approach? How would the sociologist study this phenomenon using the other approach?In addition, provide an example of how you would conduct either a deductive or inductive approach.

Answer 1

The sociologist in the above case has taken on the deductive approach as it required him to look at some evidence that would help justify the given conclusion, which is their mental illness, and he has ready taken a working hypothesis, which he is trying to confirm or reject. This method is more narrow and specific.

The inductive approach, on the other hand, would have been more involved with having a more abstract concept and working with all the given evidence to reach a reasonable conclusion.

I would conduct a deductive approach by the help of confirming my hypothesis by means of methods.

And inductive through investigation and then application of methods.