110

Chapter 1: Introduction and Data Collection

CHAPTER 1
1.1

(a)
(b)

1.2

Three sizes of soft drink are classified into distinct categoriessmall, medium, and largein
which order is implied.

1.3

(a)
(b)

The types of beverages sold yield categorical or qualitative responses.

The types of beverages sold yield distinct categories in which no ordering is implied.

The time it takes to download an MP3 file from the Internet yields numerical or
quantitative responses.
The download time is a ratio scaled variable because the true zero point in the
measurement is zero units of time.

1.4

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

numerical, discrete, ratio scale

numerical, continuous, ratio scale
categorical, nominal scale
categorical, nominal scale

1.5

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

numerical, continuous, ratio scale

numerical, discrete, ratio scale
categorical, nominal scale
categorical, nominal scale

1.6

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

categorical, nominal scale

numerical, continuous, ratio scale
numerical, discrete, ratio scale
numerical, discrete, ratio scale

1.7

(a)
numerical, continuous, ratio scale *
(b)
categorical, nominal scale
(c)
categorical, nominal scale
(d)
numerical, discrete, ratio scale
*Some researchers consider money as a discrete numerical variable because it can be counted.

1.8

(a)
numerical, continuous, ratio scale *
(b)
numerical, discrete, ratio scale
(c)
numerical, continuous, ratio scale *
(d)
categorical, nominal
*Some researchers consider money as a discrete numerical variable because it can be counted.

1.9

(a)
(b)

Income may be considered discrete if we count our money. It may be considered

continuous if we measure our money; we are only limited by the way a country's
monetary system treats its currency.
The first format is preferred because the responses represent data measured on a
higher scale.

111

Chapter 1: Introduction and Data Collection

1.9
cont.

(c)

1.10

While it is theoretically true that ties cannot occur with continuous data, the grossness of the
measuring instruments used often leads to the reporting of ties in practical applications. Hence
two students may both score 90 on an examnot because they possess identical ability but
rather because the grossness of the scoring method used failed to detect a difference between
them.

1.11

(a)

(b)

The second format is less threatening to a respondent and likely leads to a greater
response rate.

Thepopulationisallworkingwomenfromthemetropolitanarea.Asystematicor
randomsamplecouldbetakenofwomenfromthemetropolitanarea.Thedirector
mightwishtocollectbothnumericalandcategoricaldata.
Threecategoricalquestionsmightbeoccupation,maritalstatus,typeofclothing.
Numericalquestionsmightbeage,averagemonthlyhoursshoppingforclothing,
income.

1.12

A population contains all the items of interest whereas a sample contains only a portion of the
items in the population.

1.13

A statistic is a summary measure describing a sample whereas a parameter is a summary

measure describing an entire population.

1.14

Descriptive statistical methods deal with the collection, presentation, summarization, and
analysis of data whereas inferential statistical methods deal with decisions arising from the
projection of sample information to the characteristics of a population.

1.15

Categorical random variables yield categorical responses, such as yes or no answers.

Numerical random variables yield numerical responses such as your height in inches.

1.16

Discrete random variables produce numerical responses that arise from a counting process.
Continuous random variables produce numerical responses that arise from a measuring
process.

1.17

An operational definition is a universally accepted meaning that is clear to all associated with
an analysis. Without an operational definition, confusion can occur.

1.18

The four types of measurement scales are (i) nominal scale, (ii) ordinal scale, (iii) interval scale
and (iv) ratio scale.

Answers for 1.19 through 1.24 provided below are just some of the many different possible answers.
1.19

The story Billionaires 1992 at http://lib.stat.cmu.edu/DASL/Stories/Billionaires1992.html

contains the data on wealth, age, and geographic location (Asia, Europe, Middle East,

United States, and Other) of 233 individuals reported by the Fortune magazine. The
data set provides an image of the worlds billionaires.
1.20

MicrosoftExcelcouldbeusedtoperformvariousstatisticalcomputationsthatwerepossible
onlywithaslideruleorhandheldcalculatorintheolddays.

Solutions to End-of-Section and Chapter Review Problems

1.21

Basedonthearticle:DoDebatesAffectPresidentialContests?datedOctober5,2004:
(a)
Categoricalvariable:TheanswertothequestionDodebatesaffectpresidential
contests?
(b)
Numericalvariable:ThepercentageofviewerswhothoughtthatKerrywonthe
debate.
(c)
ThepercentageofviewerswhothoughtthatKerrywonthedebateisadiscrete
variablebecauseitcannotbemeasurednorcontinuouslysubdivided

1.22

(a)

(b)
(c)
(d)
1.23

(a)
(b)

112

The American Housing Survey (AHS) collects data on the Nation's housing, including
apartments, single-family homes, mobile homes, vacant housing units, household
characteristics, income, housing and neighborhood quality, housing costs, equipment
and fuels, size of housing unit, and recent movers. National data are collected in odd
numbered years, and data for each of 47 selected Metropolitan Areas are collected
currently about every six years. The national sample covers an average 55,000
housing units. Each metropolitan area sample covers 4,100 or more housing units.
Neighborhood quality is a categorical variable.
Size of the housing unit is a numerical variable.
Size of the housing unit is a continuous variable.

(c)

Theanswertothequestion:WhatisthesexofOwner1?isacategoricalvariable.
Theanswertothequestion:WhatwasOwner1sageasofDecember31,2002?is
anumericalvariable.
Agemeasuredinnumberofyearsisadiscretevariable.

1.24

(a)
(b)
(c)

Aprimarydatasourcecollectedthroughasurveywasusedinthisstudy.
Adecisiononwhattomakefordinnerathome.
Theamountoftimetopreparedinnerortheamountoftimetocookdinner.

1.25

(a)

ThepopulationfortheHarrisInteractivesurveyisalltheseniorhumanresource
executivesinthecountry.
Theresponseiscategorical.
Thisisastatistic.

(b)
(c)
1.26

(a)
(b)

Population: U.S. cat owners

(1)
categorical
(3) numerical, discrete
(2)
categorical
(4) categorical

1.27

(a)

Gender,Class,Major,GradSchool,EmploymentStatusandSatisfactionAdvisement
arecategoricalvariables.
Age,Height,GPA,ExpectedSalary,AnnualSalaryin5Years,Numberof
Affiliations,andSpendingarenumericalvariable.
Age,Numberofaffiliationsisadiscretenumericalvariable.

(b)
(c)
1.28

(a)
(b)
(c)

Gender,Major,UndergradSpecialization,EmploymentStatusandSatisfaction
Advisementarecategoricalvariables.
Age,Height,GradGPA,UndergradGPA,GMAT,NumberofJobs,Expected
Salary,AnnualSalaryin5Years,andSpendingarenumericalvariable.
Age,GMATandNumberofjobsarediscretenumericalvariable.