Section 2.

1 ~
Data Types and Levels of Measurement
Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Ms. Young
 Sec. 2.1

Objective
To be able to classify data as qualitative or
quantitative, to identify quantitative data as discrete
or continuous, and to assign data at a level of
measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio).

Why is this important?

Learning how to classify the data will help us in later
chapters with summarizing and displaying the data. It
is very important to give a representative display of
the data to avoid misconceptions.
 Sec. 2.1

Data Types
Two basic types: qualitative and
quantitative
Qualitative (categorical) data values that
can be placed in non-numerical categories
Examples ~ eye color, ice cream flavors, car
models, ratings (movie ratings, letter grades, pain
scale ratings, etc.), social security numbers, etc.
Numbers that wouldnt be used for computations would
be considered qualitative
Quantitative data consist of values
representing counts or measurements
Examples ~ times of runners in a race, incomes of
college graduates, the number of students in
different classes, temperature, etc.
 Sec. 2.1

Example 1
Classify each of the following sets of data
as either qualitative or quantitative
Brand names of shoes in a consumer survey
Qualitative; brands are categorical
Scores on a multiple choice exam
Quantitative; the numbers represent a count of how
many questions were right
Letter grades on an essay assignment
Qualitative; letter grades categorize based on ability
level
Numbers on uniforms that identify basketball
players
Qualitative; the numbers identify the player, but
wouldnt be used to make computations
 Sec. 2.1

Quantitative Data
Can be classified as either continuous or discrete
Continuous data data that can take on any value in a given
interval
Can be part of a whole number

Examples ~

Weight; someone can weigh 150.8 lbs

Time; the time can be part of an hour (12:48 pm)
Distance; length can be measured in parts (2.36 miles)
Money; can be part of a dollar ($5.84)
 Sec. 2.1

Quantitative Data Contd..

Discrete data data that can take on only particular values and
not others in-between
Examples ~
Number of students (whole numbers only)

Shoe sizes (whole and half sizes only)

Number of times a student took their drivers test (whole

numbers only)
 Sec. 2.1

Example 2
For each data set, indicate whether the
data are discrete or continuous
Measurements of the time it takes to walk a
mile
Continuous
Thenumbers of calendar years (such as 2007,
2008, 2009, etc.)
Discrete
The numbers of dairy cows on different farms
Discrete
The amounts of milk produced by dairy cows on
a farm
Continuous
 Sec. 2.1

Qualitative Levels of Measurement

A level of measurement is a further classification
of qualitative or quantitative data
Qualitative (categorical) data can be classified
further as either nominal or ordinal
Nominal level of measurement characterized by data
that consist of names, labels, or categories only; cannot
be ranked or ordered
Examples ~ eye color, ice cream flavors, jersey numbers, and
gender of animals
Ordinal level of measurement qualitative data that can
be arranged in some order (such as low to high or high to
low)
Examples ~ star ratings of movies, pain level ratings, letter
grades on a test, etc.
Time out to Think on P.56
 Sec. 2.1

Quantitative Levels of Measurement

Quantitative (numerical) data, whether its
discrete or continuous, can be further
classified as interval or ratio
Interval level of measurement applies to
quantitative data in which intervals (difference) are
meaningful and ratios (which involve division) are not
Data at this level have do not have a true zero point
Example ~ Temperature;
Intervals (differences) are meaningful - 81F is hotter
than 80F by the same amount that 28F is hotter than
27F
Ratios (division) are not meaningful - 20F is not twice as
hot as 10F because its zero point (0F) does not
represent a state of no heat
 Sec. 2.1

Quantitative Levels of Measurement Contd

Ratio level of measurement applies to
quantitative data in which both intervals
and ratios are meaningful
Data at this level have a true zero point
Example ~ Walking distance;
Intervals (differences are meaningful) - 10 miles is
further than 5 miles by the same amount that 20 miles
is further than 15
Ratios (division) are meaningful - 10 miles really is twice
as far as 5 miles because there is a true zero when it
comes to distance
Other examples that would be classified as a
ratio level of measurement include, but are not
limited to, weights, speeds, and incomes
 Sec. 2.1

Example 3
Identify the level of measurement for each of the
following sets of data
Numbers on uniforms that identify players on a
basketball team
Nominal; the numbers are not numerically significant making
these data qualitative and furthermore, the order is not
meaningful. A player with the number 10 is not necessarily any
better than a player with the number 3 on their jersey
Student rankings of cafeteria food as excellent, good,
fair, or poor
Ordinal; there is no numerical significance and the categories
are ranked from high to low
Calendar years of historical events, such as 1776, 1945,
or 2001
Interval; this is quantitative because the numbers are
meaningful, but they are only meaningful when it comes to
differences. They are not significant at the ratio level
because there is no true zero. The year 0 is not the
beginning of time
 Sec. 2.1

Example 3 Contd
Identify the level of measurement for each
of the following sets of data
Temperatures on the Celsius scale
Interval; the differences are meaningful, but ratios are
not. There is no true zero point 0 degrees Celsius
does not represent a state of no heat. It would not be
appropriate to say that -40 degrees Celsius is twice as
cold as -20 degrees Celsius.
Runners times in the Boston Marathon
Ratio; time has a true zero. A time of 0 hours is the
start of the race and it would be meaningful to say that
6 hours really is twice as long as 3 hours.
 Sec. 2.1

Summary
Data can be classified as qualitative or quantitative
Qualitative data can be classified as nominal or ordinal
Quantitative data can be classified as discrete or continuous and further
as interval or ratio

Nominal

Qualitative
Ordinal

Interval

Discrete
Ratio
Quantitative
Interval
Continuous
Ratio