Question

At the beginning of the school year, a high-school teacher asks every student in her classes to fill out a survey that asks for their age, gender, the number of years they have lived at their current address, their favorite school subject, and whether they plan to go to college after high school. Which of the following best describes the types of variables that are being measured?

Answer 1

The high-school teacher's survey measures both quantitative variables (age and the number of years at the current address) and categorical variables (gender, favorite school subject, and college plans). Quantitative data can be used for statistical calculations, whereas categorical data categorize participants for comparison.

Step-by-step explanation:

The variables being measured in the high-school teacher's survey are classified as follows:

• Age: A quantitative variable that can be measured in years.
• Gender: A categorical variable that indicates the sex of the student.
• Number of years at the current address: A quantitative variable representing how long the student has lived at their current location.
• Favorite school subject: A categorical variable indicating each student's preferred subject.
• Plans to go to college: A categorical variable indicating the student's intention regarding higher education.

When designing and interpreting surveys, it's crucial to understand the types of data - quantitative and categorical, as they will dictate the analysis method. For example, quantitative data, such as age and number of years at the current address, can be used to calculate statistical measures like mean and standard deviation. Conversely, categorical data, like gender, favorite subject, and college plans, are used to categorize participants into groups for comparison purposes.