Types of Data/ Variables

Types of Data/ Variables

What is constant
some thing which does not change
What is a variable
some thing which change
An element, feature, or factor that is liable to
vary or change.
Example- X-> Marks of a student in a class test
of statistics out of 10
Classification of Data

Qualitative and Quantitative

Qualitative Variables/ Data

Qualitative data is a categorical measurement expressed not in terms of

numbers, but rather by means of a natural language description or
attributes.

In statistics, it is often used interchangeably with "categorical" data.

Example: Gender, Income group, residence, etc

Quantitative Variables/ Data

Quantitative variables can be classified as either discrete or continuous.

A. Discrete variables: can only assume certain values and there are
usually “gaps” between values.

EXAMPLE: the number of bedrooms in a house, or the number of

hammers sold at the local Home Depot (1,2,3,…,etc).
Which we can count are Discrete

B. Continuous variable can assume any value within a specified range.

EXAMPLE: The pressure in a tire, the weight of a pork chop, or the
height of students in a class.
Which we can measure are are continuous
Summary of Types of Variables
Example
Classification of Data

Categorical Data
Nominal
Ordinal
Scale Data
Interval
Ratio
Example
Scale Basic Common Marketing
Characteristics Examples Examples
Nominal Numbers identify Social Security Brand nos., store
& classify objects nos., numbering types
of football players
Ordinal Nos. indicate the Quality rankings, Preference
relative positions rankings of teams rankings, market
of objects but not in a tournament position, social
the magnitude of class
differences
between them
Interval Differences Temperature Attitudes,
between objects (Fahrenheit) opinions, index
Ratio Zero point is fixed, Length, weight Age, sales,
ratios of scale income, costs
values can be
compared
Scale
Nominal Numbers
Assigned Finish
to Runners 7 8 3

Ordinal Rank Order Finish

of Winners
Third Second First
place place place

Interval Performance
8.2 9.1 9.6
Rating on a
1 to 10 Scale (it
is arbitrary)
15.2 14.1 13.4
Ratio Time to Finish
in Seconds
Summary of the Characteristics for Levels of
Measurement