Categorical Data Statistics Example 3
Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.
Example 3
mediumA student collects data on 20 classmates: shoe size, favourite subject, number of pets, and birth month. Which variables are categorical and which are numerical? For each categorical variable, state the most appropriate graph to display it.
Solution
- 1 Step 1: Categorical: favourite subject (labels), birth month (labels/names). Numerical: shoe size (measured quantity), number of pets (count).
- 2 Step 2: For favourite subject — a bar graph is most appropriate. For birth month — a bar graph is also suitable since months serve as categories.
Answer
Categorical: favourite subject (bar graph), birth month (bar graph). Numerical: shoe size, number of pets.
Identifying which variables are categorical guides the choice of data display. Bar graphs and pie charts are standard choices for categorical data because they compare counts across distinct categories rather than showing numerical relationships.
About Categorical Data
Categorical data is data that can be sorted into groups or categories, like colors, types, or names, rather than measured with numbers. You can count how many items fall into each category, but you cannot meaningfully add, subtract, or average the category labels themselves.
Learn more about Categorical Data →More Categorical Data Examples
Example 1 easy
Classify each of the following as categorical or numerical data: (a) Favourite pizza topping, (b) He
Example 2 mediumA survey asks: 'Rate your satisfaction: Very Unsatisfied, Unsatisfied, Neutral, Satisfied, Very Sati
Example 4 hardA researcher records the following for 100 cars: colour (red, blue, white, black, other), fuel type