Which of the following is a sign of deductive reasoning?

Drawing a specific conclusion from general premises is a fundamental aspect of deductive reasoning. In this type of reasoning, one starts with a general statement or hypothesis and then derives specific, logically following conclusions from it. This process is structured, often following a syllogistic form where a major premise leads to a minor premise that culminates in a conclusion.

For example, if the general premise is "All humans are mortal" and the specific case is "Socrates is a human," one can logically deduce that "Socrates is mortal." This illustrates how deductive reasoning works by using established general principles to arrive at specific insights or truths.

In contrast, making a guess based on intuition, relying on emotional responses, or observing specific instances to form a general rule reflect other types of reasoning or approaches, such as inductive reasoning or intuitive decision-making, which are not grounded in the structured logical progression that characterizes deductive reasoning.