Final answer:
Quantitative research collects numerical data and is associated with statistical analysis, commonly used in quantitative sociology to identify trends in social behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Research that collects data in the form of numbers either by counting an event or by using a number to represent a social fact is known as quantitative research. This approach to research is often utilized within the field of quantitative sociology, which employs statistical methods like surveys involving large numbers of participants to uncover patterns of human behavior. Quantitative data are integral to this approach and can be classified into two types: discrete or continuous. Discrete data, for example, could be the number of times per week something occurs, such as the frequency of visits to a park. On the other hand, duration or amount of time spent in activities could represent quantitative continuous data.
Comparatively, qualitative data in the social sciences provide an in-depth understanding of human behavior through interviews, focus groups, and content analysis. However, the specifics of the student's question point toward quantitative techniques and data, which are always numerical and employed to answer questions related to measurable quantities.