Final answer:
Quantitative techniques provide a quick and practical way to analyze numerical data for decision-making. They can be applied in various fields, include both discrete and continuous data, and are essential for creating meaningful statistics that inform trends and changes over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Quantitative techniques are indeed quick and practical for many decisions in various fields. These techniques involve numerical and statistical methods to analyze quantitative data, thus making them suitable for addressing specific, measurable aspects of a problem. Quantitative data can be either quantitative discrete, meaning the data can only take on distinct, separate values, or quantitative continuous, where the data can take on any value within a range. For example, the number of correct answers on a quiz is quantitative discrete, while the interest rate charged on financial aid is quantitative continuous.
Using quantitative methods allows researchers and decision-makers to construct meaningful statistics, such as trends and changes over time. These techniques are regularly applied in the context of scientific research, business analytics, health studies, and social sciences. For symbolic interactionists, who often study patterns of communication in social settings, quantitative data analysis can be an essential tool, although they may also use other methods like participant observation depending on the research goals.
Quantitative information is indispensable to making data-driven decisions and can often expedite the decision-making process by providing clear, numerical evidence that can be easily interpreted and acted upon.