Discussion Topic

Activity Time:

3 hours

Directions:

When we infer things, we reach conclusions based on the use of evidence and reason. Not all of our inferences are correct, of course, but they tend to be correct more often than not. Because it is frequently more difficult to find situations that are purely deductive, we tend to use inductive reasoning and inference much more often, even knowing that it can sometimes lead to incorrect conclusions.

Initial Post:

1. Consider a time when you used inference (evidence and reason) to solve a problem.
2. Define the problem that you were experiencing.
3. What sort of evidence did you use to solve the problem? Explain your reasoning to the solution you came to.
4. Did your solution work? Were your inferences correct, or did they need to be modified? Why or why not
   

   Analyzing Inference in Communication

5. 
   

   What is Inference in Communication, and Why is it Important?

   Inference is a basic component of any argument or proposal. When we are speaking of inference in argument, we mean this definition: “Inference is drawn from the major and minor premises; in research, the meaning and significance of the data as interpreted by the researcher” (Diestler, p.5). According to a Medve and Pugliese in an article advocating teaching inference to all age levels, “inferring is such a common activity that we are often not aware of using this ‘inquiry’skill” (p. 272). You may think that only researchers need to use inference in their work, but when you listen and evaluate arguments or persuasive ideas, then you are also using inference as you process the information being presented to you. What does this mean to the critical thinker and how does this apply to communication skills?Inference is so common in our usage that we may not even realize we are using it at all. For example, you may see a car on the shoulder of a highway and a state trooper behind them with their lights flashing and infer that the driver is getting a speeding ticket. Here you have used inference. However, you may be incorrect in your inference. The person that is on the shoulder may be having car trouble, and the officer is assisting, not writing a ticket. We infer based on our own expectations, beliefs, and prior experiences. Often additional information may be needed before we infer or make decisions based on only our observations.

   Active Listening and Inference

   Active listening can impact inference. How often have you thought you heard one thing, but it turns out that what you thought was said was not correct? Much too often in personal communications, we may misunderstand what others are actually communicating because we did not listen closely to what was being said. Many times, our brains may be processing the information very quickly or giving the speaker only a surface level of interest because we are busy focusing on rebuttals or what we want to contribute to the conversation, so we are not actively listening to what is being presented. Good communication skills require that we actively listen and carefully evaluate the arguments of others. Active listening contains key components that anyone can master if mindful, including:

   1. Be Attentive. Give the speaker your full attention.
   2. Be aware of body language – both yours and the speaker’s.
   3. Ask open-ended questions.
   4. Probe areas you do not understand and ask for clarification.
   5. Paraphrase the speaker’s ideas back to them.
   6. Develop empathy for the feelings of others.
   7. Summarize the key points and reflect (Hallet, 2014, p. 2).

   Summary

   When we use inference in communication, we assume that others understand what we are attempting to say. As you can see, that is not always the case. By taking care that our language is clear and to the point, we can be more assured that what we are saying is what our audience is hearing and evaluating, rather than being “stuck” on trying to figure out what our words mean.

6. 
   

   Sources

   Diester, S. (2012). Becoming a critical thinker: User-friendly manual (6th ed.) [Bookshelf Ambassadored], pp. #-##. Retrieved from https://abassadored.vitalsource.comDevelop Active Listening Skills. (2014). Customers First, 19(6), 2. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.rasmussen.edu/…Medve, R. J., & Pugliese, F. A. (1986). Inferences in the classroom and everyday life. The American Biology Teacher, 48(5), 272-277. http://doi.org/10.2307/4448291