DISTINCTION BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND

QUANTITATIVE VARIABLES
Variables are the characteristics of the
individuals within the population. For example,
recently my mother and I planted a tomato
plant in our backyard. We collected information
about the tomatoes harvested from the plant.
The individuals we studied were the tomatoes.
The variable that interested us was the weight
of a tomato.
Variables can be classified into two groups:
1. Qualitative variables is variable that
yields categorical responses. It is a word or
a code that represents a class or category.
2. Quantitative variables takes on numerical
values representing an amount or quantity.
Example:
Determine whether the following variables are
qualitative or quantitative.
1. Haircolor (Qualitative)
2. Temperature (Quantitative)
3. Number of hamburger sold (Quantitative)
4. Number of children (Quantitative)
5. Zip code (Qualitative)
DISTINCTION BETWEEN DISCRETE AND
CONTINUOUS
Quantitative variables may be further classified
into:
1. A discrete variable is a quantitative
variable that either a finite number of
possible values or a countable number of
possible values. If you count to get the
value of a quantitative variable, it is
discrete.
2. A continuous variable is a quantitative
variable that has an infinite number of
possible values that are not countable. If
you measure to get the value of a
quantitative variable, it is continuous.
Example:
Determine whether the following quantitative
variables are discrete or continuous.
1. The number of heads obtained after
flipping a coin five times. (Discrete)
2. The number of cars that arrive at a
McDonald’s drive-through between 12:00
P.M and 1:00 P.M. (Continuous)
3. The distance of a 2005 Toyota Prius can
travel in city conditions with a full tank of
gas. (Continuous)
4. Number of words correctly spelled.
(Discrete)
5. Time of a runner to finish one lap.
(Continuous)
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT
It is important to know which type of scale is
represented by your data since different
statistics are appropriate for different scales of
measurement. A characteristic may be
measured using nominal, ordinal, interval and
ration scales.
1. Nominal Level - This is the first level of
measurement and it is characterized by data
that consist of names, labels or categories
only. The data cannot be arranged in ordering
scheme. Nominal scales have no numerical
value.

They are sometimes called categorical scales

or categorical data. Such a scale classifies
persons or objects into two or more categories.
Whatever the basis for classification, a person
can only be in one category, and members of a
given category have a common set of
characteristics.
Example:
- Method of payment (cash, check, debit card,
credit card)
- Type of school (public vs. private)
- Eye Color (Blue, Green, Brown)
2. Ordinal Level - This involves data that may
be arranged in some order, but differences
between data values either cannot be
determined or meaningless. An ordinal scale
not only classifies subjects but also ranks them
in terms of the degree to which they possess a
characteristics of interest. In other words, an
ordinal scale puts the subjects in order from
highest to lowest, from most to least. Although
ordinal scales indicate that some subjects are
higher, or lower than others, they do not
indicate how much higher or how much better.
Example:
- Food Preferences
- Rank of a Military officer
- Social Economic Class (First, Middle, Lower)
3. Interval Level - This is a measurement level
notonlyclassifiesandordersthe
measurements, but it also specifies that the
distances between each interval on the scale
are equivalent along the scale from low interval
to high interval. A value of zero does not mean
the absence of the quantity. Arithmetic
operations such as addition and subtraction
can be performed on values of the variable.
Example:
- Temperature on Fahrenhei t /Celsius
Thermometer
- Trait anxiety (e.g., high anxious vs. low
anxious)
- IQ (e.g., high IQ vs. average IQ vs. low IQ)
4. Ratio Level - A ratio scale represents the
highest, most precise, level of measurement. It
has the properties of the interval level of
measurement and the ratios of the values of
the variable have meaning. A value of zero
means the absence of the quantity. Arithmetic
operations such as multiplication and division
can be performed on the values of the
variable.
Example:
- Height and weight
- Time
- Distance and speed
Levels of Measurement