Unit II

TYPES OF DATA
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this topic the students should be able to:
1. Enumerate the different types of data
2. Differentiate the different types of data
3. Classify a given set of variables according to
a. Functional relationship
b. Continuity of values
c. Scale of measurement

2.1. Qualitative data is a categorical measurement expressed not in terms of

numbers rather by means of a natural language description while
2.2 Quantitative Data is a numerical measurement expressed not by means of a
natural language description but rather in terms of numbers.

The following should be noted about these types of data:

Qualitative Data Quantitative Data

Deals with description/uses words
Data can be observed but not
measured
Deals with colors, textures, smells,
tastes, appearances, beauty, etc.
Qualitative talks about quality
Deals with quantity/uses numbers
Data can be measured
Deals with length, height, area, volume,
weight, speed, time, temperature,
humidity, etc.
Quantitative talks about quantity

The following examples would help you understand more about qualitative data
and quantitative data:

1. Brand of toothpaste - this is qualitative because it describes and the brand

cannot be measured
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2. Number of books in a shelf - this is quantitative because it counts and
therefore deals with numbers
3. Color of shoes - this is qualitative because you cannot measure the color
4. The number of pets- this is quantitative because it can be counted.

Other examples:
Let’s take the case of a cat, the quantitative data is, the cat has four legs and
weighs 20 pounds, and when we say the color of the cat is yellow then it is
qualitative data.
Let’s take the case of a Bookshelf, the quantitative data is, there are 50 books
in the shelf , and the books is multicolored and has smooth surface is the
qualitative data

2.2.1 Discrete and Continuous data

Quantitative data is divided into two types, the discrete data and continuous
data
The following should be noted about these data:

Discrete Data Continuous Data

Variables that can be counted
Values take the form of whole
numbers
Finite or constantly infinite
Examples are: Family size, number of
students in a class, number of dogs
Variables that can be measured
Values take the form of fractions or
decimals
Unconstantly infinite
Examples: distance, weight, length,
height, etc.

Note: Anything that can be counted is discrete data and anything that can be
measured is continuous data

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2.3 Variables according to measurement scale

1. Nominal Data
2. Ordinal Data
3. Interval Data
4. Ratio Data

The following should be noted with these types of Data:

Nominal data
Categorical variable scale, meaning this scale is used for labeling variables into distinct
classifications and doesn’t involve order

Assign numbers to different objects, numbers have no real meaning other than
differentiating between objects
Numbers are used as labels only
Counts or frequencies and percentages can be obtained per category
Lowest level of measurement
Data in this level is qualitative

Example 1. When classifying people according to their favorite color, there is no

sense in which green is placed ahead of blue. Responses are merely categorized.
Example 2. the number at the back of a football Jersey, the number is just used
to identify the player
Example 3. Gender can be classified as Male and Female and you can label the
female With 1 and male with 0 , the labels do not mean that female are better than
male.
Example 4. Classifying people according to their political preferences, place of
residence, Brand of their smart phones

Note: When using a nominal scale , one simply names or categorizes responses
and they do not imply ordering among responses.

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 Ordinal Data
This variable has the characteristic of the nominal variable plus the characteristic of
indicating “greater than” or “less than”.

a variable measurement scale used to simply depict the order of variables and not the
difference between each of the variables.
Numbers are used to both label and order.
Responses are categories or labels which can be ranked or ordered
Difference between two responses is meaningless

Example 1: Marking a runner’s name “1” because he finished first in a race, “2”
for the second runner and so on constitute an ordinal variable. The
number both labels a runner and gives the order in which they
finished.
Example 2: Rating a group of five paintings on a 1 to 5 scale according to how
they appeal to you. (“5” most appealing and “1” least appealing)
Example 3 : The size of shirt ( s, m, l ,xl )

Note: This type of data categorize responses and imply ordering of responses
In other words, the variable in this type of data are classified and in the
classification, there is an order

Interval Data
The variable incorporates all the properties of nominal and ordinal variables.

The categories consist of equal intervals which means that the distance of each interval
is known.
An interval variable does not have a “true” zero point. Although for convenience, a zero
point may be arbitrarily assigned. Or a zero does not indicate an absence of a property
Difference between two responses has meaning
addition and subtraction of responses are possible

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 Example 1 :The length of an interval between 5 cm. and 6 cm. is exactly the
interval between 9 cm. and 10 cm. Since all the intervals in the scale are
of equal size, they can be divided into increasingly smaller units, allowing for greater
precision in measurement. Hence, length is an interval variable.

Example 2: The centigrade thermometer is based on an interval scale. The

difference in temperature between 10 degrees and 20 degrees is the same as the
difference between 40 degrees and 50 degrees. The centigrade thermometer like all
interval scales, has an arbitrary zero point. On the centigrade thermometer, this zero
point is the freezing point of water at sea level. On this scale, 0 degrees does not mean
complete absence of heat, it is simply a convenient starting point.

Note: Interval scales are numeric scales in which we know both order and the
exact differences between the values. And there is no true zero.

Ratio Scale Data

Highest level of measurement
All the properties of interval level hold
Zero value in this level means lack of that property or characteristic

Example 1: temperature measured with a Kelvin thermometer

A Kelvin thermometer has a zero point at which, theoretically, heat is presumed to be
absent.

Example 2: weight
A person with 6 kilograms of gold has thrice as much gold as one who has 2 kilograms of
gold.

Example 3: Income, expenditure and Amount of Loan

Zero income means no income at all

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Zero expenditure means no expenses
Zero amount of loan means not possible to borrow money in any
lending institution

Note: Ratio scales tell us about the order, the exact value between units and they have
an absolute zero.

Summary
In Nominal scale , variables are used to” name” or label a series of values
,Ordinal scale provide good information about the order of choices such as order
satisfaction survey, interval scale gives us the order of values plus the ability to
quantify the difference between each one and finally the ratio scale gives us the
ultimate order, interval values, plus the ability to calculate ratios since “ true zero” can
be defined.

2.4 Variables according to functional relationship

Other types of variables are also classified according to functional

relationship and these are independent and dependent variable.
Independent Variable is the stimulus variable. It is capable of effecting change in the
other variable. It is that factor which is measured, manipulated or selected by the
experimenter or researcher to determine the relationship to an observed phenomena.
The independent variable is the presumed cause of the dependent variable. While
Dependent variable is that “ factor which is observed and measured to determine the
effect of the independent variable . It is the presumed effect, and it is the predicted
variable In statistics experiment, the dependent variable is the event studied and
expected to change whenever the independent variable is altered.
Independent variables answer the question “ What do I change?” and dependent
variables answer the question “What do I observe?”.
The independent variable and the dependent variable can be represented by
mathematical categories X and Y. X is the independent variable and Y is the dependent

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variable. In research, there are no limits on the independent variables (X’s ) and the
dependent variable (Y’s ) pursued.
Let us consider the following researchable problems as an example and identify the
independent and dependent variable:

Example 1. Does organizational climate affect student behavior ?

Independent variable: organizational climate
Dependent variable: student behavior
Example 2. What are the effects of psychological variables on agricultural labor
productivity?
Independent variable: psychological variables
Dependent variable: Agricultural labor productivity

Exercises
1.Fill in the boxes below by placing a check mark( √ ) for the correct classification of
data:

Quantitative Qualitative Continuous Discrete

Mass of a
bearing
Number of boys
in a class
Number of Die
rolls until 6 is
obtained
Type of defect
Body
Temperature
The brand of
shoes
Gender

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 Shirt size( s, m,
L
Color of hair
Average grade
in Math

2. Fill in the box by placing a check (√) mark on the scale possessing the property
provided :
Property Nominal Ordinal Interval Ratio
The order of
values is known
Counts or
frequencies can
be obtained
Can quantify the
difference
between each
value
Can add or
subtract values
Can multiply and
divide values

Has true Zero

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