Following are brief descriptions of how researchers measured a variable. For each situation, determine the level of measurement of the variable and whether it is continuous or discrete.

a. Race or ethnicity. Respondents were asked to 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. Subjects were asked about their family situation when they were 16 years old. Was their family:

________ Very well off compared to other families?

________ About average?

________ Not so well off?

d. Education. Subjects were asked how many years of schooling they had 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. Subjects were asked: “How many children have you ever had? Please include any that may have passed away.”

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

________ same seat as 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 10 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.

18 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 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.