Question

Which of the following variables are best thought of as continuous, which discrete? Indicate your choice for each by checking the appropriate column.

(a) In an experimental study, the participant's estimate for the height of a 3.. -meter image projected 12 meters away
(b) The number of tickets purchased by a caller on a Rose Bowl ticket hotline L
(c) The cranial capacity (space inside the skull) of a human skull
(d) The number of your fellow classmates who have used the World Wide Web for information on Seasonal Affective Disorder

Answer 1

Variables are continuous if they represent measurements within a range, and discrete if they involve countable amounts. A participant's estimate and cranial capacity are continuous, while the number of tickets purchased and classmates using the web are discrete.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to determine whether variables are continuous or discrete, we must identify whether the variable can take on any value within a range (continuous) or whether it consists of countable values (discrete).

• (a) A participant's estimate for the height of an image projected 12 meters away would be considered continuous data because it represents a measurement that could potentially have any value within a range.
• (b) The number of tickets purchased by a caller on a Rose Bowl ticket hotline is an example of discrete data, as tickets can only be counted in whole numbers; you cannot purchase a fraction of a ticket.
• (c) Cranial capacity (space inside the skull) of a human skull is continuous data because it involves a measurement of volume, which can vary continuously.
• (d) The number of classmates who have used the World Wide Web is discrete, as this number is countable.