Deductive reasoning begins with a general observation moves to a specific conclusion. General to specific

• A. Inductive Reasoning
• B. Deductive Reasoning
• C. Spatial Format
• D. Topical Speech Format

Answer: (B)

Deductive reasoning describes moving from a general rule to a specific conclusion. You start with a broad principle and apply it to a particular case, so the conclusion must follow if the premises are true and the reasoning is valid. For example, if all mammals have hearts and a whale is a mammal, then a whale must have a heart. This shows a general-to-specific flow with logical necessity rather than probability.

Inductive reasoning goes the other way—you begin with specific observations and generalize a broader claim from them. The other terms mentioned don’t describe reasoning processes; they aren’t about deriving conclusions from general rules.