Lesson 3

Types of Data
 Categorical Data

• The objects being studied are grouped into categories based on

some qualitative trait.

• The resulting data are merely labels or categories.

Examples of Categorical Data

• Eye color (blue, brown, hazel, green, etc.)

• Gender (Male , Female.)

• Smoking status (smoker, non-smoker)

• Attitudes towards the death penalty (Strongly disagree, disagree,

neutral, agree, strongly agree.)
 Categorical data classified as
Nominal, Ordinal, and/or Binary

Categorical data

Nominal Ordinal
data data

Binary Not binary Binary Not binary

 Nominal Data

• A type of categorical data in which objects fall into unordered categories.

Examples of Nominal Data

• Gender (Male , Female .)

• Nationality (French , Japanese, Egyptian, Chinese,… etc)

• Smoking status (smoker, non-smoker)

 Ordinal Data

• A type of categorical data in which order is important.

• Examples of Ordinal Data

• Class of degree (1st class, 2nd, 3rd class, fail)

• Degree of illness (none, mild, moderate, acute, chronic.)

• Opinion of students about stats classes (Very unhappy, unhappy,

neutral, happy, ecstatic!)
 Binary Data

• A type of categorical data in which there are only two categories.

• Smoking status- smoker, non-smoker

• Attendance- present, absent

• Class of mark- pass, fail.

• Status of student- undergraduate, postgraduate.

 Quantity Data

• The objects being studied are ‘measured’ based on some

quantitative trait.

• The resulting data are set of numbers.

Examples of quantity Data

• Pulse rate

• Height

• Age

• Exam marks

• Time to complete a statistics test

• Family Size
Quantity data can be classified as
‘Discrete or Continuous’

Quantity
data

Discrete Continuous
 Discrete Data

If the values / observations belonging to it may take only specific values (integer) .

There are gaps between the possible values.

It does not containing fraction.

Implies counting.

Continuous Data

If the values / observations belonging to it may take on any value within a

finite or infinite interval (real).

Can contain fraction.

Implies Measurement.
Discrete data -- Gaps between possible values- count

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Continuous data
no gaps between possible values- measure

0 1000
 Examples of Discrete Data

• Number of children in a family

• Number of students passing a stats exam
• Number of crimes reported to the police
• Number of cars sold in a day.
Generally, discrete data are counts.
We would not expect to find 2.2 children in a family or 88.5 students passing an
exam or 127.2 crimes being reported to the police or half a bicycle being sold
in one day.

Examples of Continuous data

• Weight
• Height
• Time to run 500 metres
• Age
‘Generally, continuous data come from measurements.
(any value within an interval is possible with a fine enough measuring
device).
 Relationships between Variables.

Variables

Category Quantity

Continuous
Ordinal Discrete
Nominal (counting) (measuring)

Ordered
categories Ranks.
 Interval and ratio variables

• Interval: • Ratio:

– Numerical data – Numerical data

– data can be ranked – data can be ranked

– Data has equal intervals – Data has equal intervals

between data points between data points

– There is no meaningful zero – True zero

– ratios are meaningless. – True ratios exist between the

different units of measure.

• Difference between interval and ratio usually not important for statistical
analysis.