Note:
- The variable type must be one of continuous, discrete, nominal, or ordinal (saying quantitative or categorical is not specific enough).
Types of Variables I
- Miles driven per week is quantitative, continuous because another value CAN be found between any two miles driven values (e.g., a student can drive between 10 and 10.1 miles per week, between 10 and 10.01 miles per week, and so on).
- Type of vehicle is categorical, nominal because the types represent groups but there is no order among the groups.
- Signs of disease is categorical, nominal because “yes” and “no” are groups and a categorical variables with two levels is nominal by definition.
- Number of fleas is quantitative, discrete because another value can NOT be found between all pairs of numbers of fleas (e.g., there cannot be between 10 and 11 fleas).
- Relative health of a rabbit is categorical, ordinal because the health was organized by groups (e.g., excellent) and those groupings were ordered.
- Species of rabbit is categorical, nominal because species is a type of group, but there is no order among those groups.
- Number of correct answers is quantitative, discrete because a value can NOT be found between all pairs of correct answers (e.g., there cannot be between 19 and 20 correct answers).
- Concentration of lead is quantitative, continuous because a value CAN be found between any pair of lead concentrations.
- Risk potential is categorical, ordinal because a grouping was created (e.g., “high risk”) and those groupings have an order.
- Information medium is categorical, nominal because they are types, but those types do not have an ordering.
- The Koppen scheme is definitely categorical and I think it is nominal because I don’t see an ordering in the given categories (i.e., they don’t appear to range from wet to dry, cold to hot, north to south).
Note:
- The specificity in the description for the individual (usually specific about “when” and “where”).
- The use of “ALL” when describing the population and parameter.
- The list of a specific number of individuals when describing the sample and statistic.
- The use of a specific type of summary (almost always the mean/average or percentage/proportion) when describing the parameter and statistic. Further note that the same summary word is used for both the parameter and statistic.
- A summary word usually does not appear in the description of the variable.
- The variable type must be one of continuous, discrete, nominal, or ordinal (saying quantitative or categorical is not specific enough).
Sustainability Survey
- I - A Northland College Student in Fall, 2013
- V - Number of miles driven per week
- Po - ALL Northland College Students in Fall, 2013
- Pa - Average number of miles driven per week by ALL Northland College Students in Fall, 2013
- Sa - 147 sampled Northland College students
- St - Average number of miles driven per week by 147 sampled Northland College Students in Fall, 2013
- Variable Type - Miles driven per week is quantitative, continuous because another value can be found been any two miles driven.
Crayfish and Bass
- I - a Rusty Crayfish in the lake with Smallmouth Bass in 2015
- V - carapace length of Rusty Crayfish
- Po -ALL Rusty Crayfish in the lake with Smallmouth Bass in 2015
- Pa - mean carapace length of ALL Rusty Crayfish in the lake with Smallmouth Bass in 2015
- Sa - 235 Rusty Crayfish in the lake with Smallmouth Bass in 2015 that were actually examined
- St - mean carapace length of 235 Rusty Crayfish in the lake with Smallmouth Bass in 2015
- Variable Type - Carapace length is a continuous quantitative variable because a carapace length can be found between any two carapace lengths.
Types of Variables II
- Answers will vary by student. See instructor if you have questions about your example.