Questions: For each variable, determine whether it is best thought of as discrete or continuous.
(a) The height of a fifth-grade boy
(b) The number of participants in a study who describe themselves as "perfectionistic"
(c) The length of the arm of a heavyweight boxer
(d) The number of personal-injury traffic accidents last week on Interstate 65 in Indiana
Transcript text: For each variable, determine whether it is best thought of as discrete or continuous.
(a) The height of a fifth-grade boy
(b) The number of participants in a study who describe themselves as "perfectionistic"
(c) The length of the arm of a heavyweight boxer
(d) The number of personal-injury traffic accidents last week on Interstate 65 in Indiana
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Determine the nature of variable (a)
The height of a fifth-grade boy is a measurement that can take any value within a range. It is not limited to specific, countable values. Therefore, it is best thought of as a continuous variable.
Step 2: Determine the nature of variable (b)
The number of participants in a study who describe themselves as "perfectionistic" is a count of individuals. Counts are whole numbers and cannot take fractional values. Therefore, it is best thought of as a discrete variable.
Step 3: Determine the nature of variable (c)
The length of the arm of a heavyweight boxer is a measurement that can take any value within a range. It is not limited to specific, countable values. Therefore, it is best thought of as a continuous variable.