Levels of data Q&A

Question / Answers
Researchers want to find the difference between male and female estimates of stopping distances.
On a questionnaire about social behaviour there is a question asking:
On a scale of 1-10 how aggressive is your child? 1 is not at all 5 average and 10 very aggressive
Participants have to choose ‘snog’, ‘marry’ or ‘avoid’ when shown a set of photographs of possible partners
In a company participants were asked to indicate on a scale of 1-7 how much they felt in control of their working environment.
Participants are set a puzzle they can or cannot solve. Their temperature is taken as a measure of stress.
One group of participants are asked to take multi vitamins for a month then their IQ is measured before and after the month is up.
Researchers want to find out what type of teaching pupils prefer so ask them to put them in order of preference. They are asked to put their favourite first and so on.
Researchers want to investigate the effect of leading questions on age. They want to see if those aged 5-10 were more likely to be misled than those aged 11-15.
Scores on a memory test before and after taking caffeine
How many days per week is your child in day care
How many units of alcohol per week are consumed by males and females
A school wants to advertise its good grades at A Level and provides this by stating how many got A’s; B’s, C’s etc.
Participants are asked to rate a series of photographs on their level of attractiveness
Participants are asked to complete the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes & Rahe) and calculate their score.
Participants are asked to choose between an apple or a portion of popcorn. Then asked to choose again after being given the nutritional value of each.
Question / Answers
Researchers want to find the difference between male and female estimates of stopping distances. / Interval or ratio because the data will be the speed estimates
Ainsworth’s strange situation where observers had behavioural categories to observe and tick each time they saw one in a child / Nominal – categories and frequency of occurrence.
On a questionnaire about social behaviour there is a question asking:
On a scale of 1-10 how aggressive is your child? 1 is not at all 5 average and 10 very aggressive / Ordinal – use of a scale.
Participants have to choose ‘snog’, ‘marry’ or ‘avoid’ when shown a set of photographs of possible partners / Nominal - categories
In a company participants were asked to indicate on a scale of 1-7 how much they felt in control of their working environment. / Ordinal – use of a scale.
Participants are set a puzzle they can or cannot solve. Their temperature is taken as a measure of stress. / Interval or ratio because the data will be temperature.
One group of participants are asked to take multi vitamins for a month then their IQ is measured before and after the month is up. / Interval or ratio because the data will be IQ – these scores are considered to be standardised therefore legitimately interval scores.
Researchers want to find out what type of teaching pupils prefer so ask them to put them in order of preference. They are asked to put their favourite first and so on. / Ordinal – use of a scale.
Researchers want to investigate the effect of leading questions on age. They want to see if those aged 5-10 were more likely to be misled than those aged 11-15. / Nominal – categories and frequency of occurrence.
Heartbeat was measured while participants tried to complete a puzzle they can or cannot solve. / Interval or ratio because the data will be heartbeat.
Scores on a memory test before and after taking caffeine / Interval or ratio because the data will be an actual score of how many correct and could have a true zero.
How many days per week is your child in day care / Interval or ratio because the data will be an actual quantity and could have a true zero.
How many units of alcohol per week are consumed by males and females / Interval or ratio because the data will be an actual quantity and could have a true zero.
A school wants to advertise its good grades at A Level and provides this by stating how many got A’s; B’s, C’s etc. / Nominal – categories and frequency of occurrence.
Participants are asked to rate a series of photographs on their level of attractiveness / Ordinal – use of a scale.
Female and male participants are asked for their actual and ideal weight. / Interval or ratio because the data will be weight.
Participants are asked to complete the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes & Rahe) and calculate their score. / Ordinal – use of a scale.
Participants are asked to choose between an apple or a portion of popcorn. Then asked to choose again after being given the nutritional value of each. / Nominal – choice of one item or another the popcorn or the apple.