Final answer:
The correct answer is option D. The variable 'favorite musical style' is qualitative because it categorizes individuals based on a non-numeric characteristic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The variable 'favorite musical style' is qualitative because it describes an attribute or characteristic of an individual, not a numerical measurement. Qualitative data, such as favorite musical style, hair color, or ethnic group, categorize individuals into groups based on non-numeric characteristics that are described by words or letters. For instance, someone's favorite musical style could be jazz, rock, classical, or hip-hop, and these categories cannot be quantitatively measured or counted in a way that numerical values like weight or height can be.
Unlike quantitative data, which refers to numbers and includes counts or measurements (like the number of books on a shelf or the weight of luggage), qualitative data is used to characterize or categorize attributes. You cannot calculate an average of favorite musical styles because they represent categories, not values on a measurable scale.