As an adolescent, did you voluntarily disclose information about dating and romantic relationships to your parents? This was the research question of interest in the Journal of Adolescence (Apr. 2010). A sample of 222 high school students was recruited to participate in the study. Some of the many variables measured on each student were age (years), gender, dating experience (number of dates), and the extent to which the student was willing to tell his/her parent (without being asked) about a dating issue (e.g., how late the daters stayed out). The responses for the last variable were categorized as "never tell," "rarely tell," "sometimes tell," "almost always tell," and "always tell."
a. Identify the data type for each variable.
b. The study was unclear on exactly how the sample of students was selected, stating only that "participants were recruited from health or government classes in a primarily European American middle-class school district." Based on this information, what are the potential caveats to using the sample to make inferences on dating and disclosure to parents for all high school students?