What type of reasoning applies a general statement to a new situation?

The correct choice is associated with deductive reasoning, which involves applying a general principle or statement to a specific case to reach a logically certain conclusion. In this reasoning process, if the general statement is true and the situation meets the criteria outlined in that statement, one can confidently deduce that the conclusion is also true.

For example, consider the general statement: "All humans are mortal." If you encounter a new individual, and you know they are human, you can deduce that they are mortal based on the general principle. This kind of reasoning is fundamental in problem-solving and scientific methodology, where a hypothesis is tested against specific instances or data.

In contrast, inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations, while abductive reasoning focuses on finding the most likely explanation for a set of observations. Analogical reasoning draws comparisons between two similar situations to reach a conclusion but does not necessarily apply a general rule directly.