Chapter 1, Problem 1.5P

Following are brief descriptions of how researchers measured a variable. For each situation, determine the level of measurement of the variable.

a. Race or ethnicity. Check all that apply:

__________ Black

__________ White

__________ Hispanic

__________ Asian or Pacific Islander

__________ Native American

__________ Other (Please specify: __________)

b. Honesty. Subjects were observed as they passed by a spot where an apparently lost wallet was lying. The wallet contained money and complete identification. Subjects were classified into one of the following categories:

__________ Returned the wallet with money

__________ Returned the wallet but kept the money

__________ Did not return the wallet

c. Social class. What was your family situation when you were 16 years old?

__________ Very well off compared to other families

__________ About average

__________ Not so well off

d. Education. How many years of schooling have

you completed? __________

e. Racial integration on campus. Students were observed during lunchtime at the cafeteria for a month. The number of students sitting with students of other races was counted for each meal period.

f. Number of children. How many children have

you ever had? __________

g. Student seating patterns in classrooms. On the first day of class, instructors noted where each student sat. Seating patterns were remeasured every two weeks until the end of the semester. Each student was classified as:

__________ Same seat as at last measurement

__________ Adjacent seat

__________ Different seat, not adjacent

__________ Absent

h. Physicians per capita. The number of physicians was counted in each of 50 cities. The researchers used population data to compute the number of physicians per capita.

i. Physical attractiveness. A panel of ten judges rated each of 50 photos of a mixed-race sample of males and females for physical attractiveness on a scale from 0 to 20, with 20 being the highest score.

j. Number of accidents. The number of traffic accidents per year for each of 20 intersections was recorded. Also, each accident was rated as:

__________ Minor damage, no injuries

__________ Moderate damage, personal injury requiring hospitalization

__________ Severe damage and injury