Exercise 13.1: Frequency Distributions for Nominal and Ordinal Variables

1. Table 13.1E, from the 2000 General Social Survey, shows the distribution for the variable of political ideology. Provide answers to the following questions about the distribution.



a. What level of measurement is achieved with the variable political ideology?

b. What is the modal category for this variable?

c. What measure of dispersion is appropriate for this variable? What is the value of that measure?

a. What level of measurement is achieved with the variable political ideology? b. What is the modal category for this variable? c. What measure of dispersion is appropriate for this variable? What is the value of that measure?





2. Table 13.2E, also adapted from the General Social Survey for 2000, shows the distribution of responses to the statement "People worry too much about the environment and too little about the economy." Provide answers to the following questions about the distribution.



a. The responses to the question reach what level of measurement?

b. What measure of central tendency is appropriate for this distribution? What is the value of that measure?



a. The responses to the question reach what level of measurement? b. What measure of central tendency is appropriate for this distribution? What is the value of that measure?