XII -BUSINESS STATISTICS

From the desk of SOHAIL MERCHANT

Continuous vs. Discrete Discrete Discrete Discrete Discrete Continuous Discrete Discrete Discrete Continuous Discrete Continuous Continuous Continuous Discrete Discrete Discrete Discrete Continuous Discrete Discrete Qualitative vs. Quantitative Qualitative Qualitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Qualitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative Qualitative Qualitative Qualitative Quantitative Quantitative Quantitative

A list of 20 variables showing how they fit into the three categories that describe them.

Variables Gender (male, female) Seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) Number of dreams recalled Number of errors Duration of drug abuse (in years) Ranking of favorite foods Ratings of satisfaction (1 to 7) Body type (slim, average, heavy) Score (from 0 to 100%) on an exam Number of students in your class Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) Time (in seconds) to memorize a list The size of a reward (in grams) Position standing in line Political Affiliation (Republican, Democrat) Type of distraction (auditory, visual) A letter grade (A, B, C, D, F) Weight (in pounds) of an infant A college students SAT score Number of lever presses per minute E X A M PL E 1. 3

For each of the following examples, we will (1) name the variable being measured, (2) state whether the variable is continuous or discrete, and (3) state whether the variable is quantitative or qualitative. a. A researcher records the month of birth among patients with schizophrenia. The month of birth (the variable) is discrete and qualitative.
1. True; 2. A. Continuous. B. Discrete. C. Discrete. D. Discrete; 3. A. Quantitative. B. Quantitative.

b. A professor records the number of students absent during a final exam. The number of absent students (the variable) is discrete and quantitative. c. A researcher asks children to choose which type of cereal they prefer (one with a toy inside or one without). He records the choice of cereal for each child. The choice of cereal (the variable) is discrete and qualitative. d. A therapist measures the time (in hours) that clients continue a recommended program of counseling. The time in hours (the variable) is continuous and quantitative. 1. 2. True or false: The types of data researchers measure fall into two categories: (1) continuous or discrete and (2) quantitative or qualitative. State whether each of the following are continuous or discrete. a. Delay (in seconds) it takes drivers to make a left-hand turn when a light turns green b. The number of questions that participants ask during a research study c. Type of drug use (none, infrequent, moderate, or frequent) d. Season of birth (spring, summer, fall, or winter) 3. 4. 5. State whether the variables listed in Question 2 are quantitative or qualitative. True or false: Qualitative variables can be continuous or discrete. A researcher is interested in the effects of stuttering on social behavior with children. He records the number of peers a child speaks to during a typical school day. In this example, would the data be qualitative or quantitative?

C. Qualitative. D. Qualitative; 4. False; 5. Quantitative.

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