Copy and paste the following examples (A–F below), then respond by classifying each of the following variables as either: nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio. Provide a brief explanation where indicated.
- A researcher studying lifespan categorizes individuals into single, married, divorced, or widowed. What type of variable measurement is this?
- A cognitive scientist places her subjects into categories based on how anxious they tell her that they are feeling: “not anxious,” “mildly anxious,” “moderately anxious,” and “severely anxious,” and she uses the numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3 to label categories where lower numbers indicate less anxiety. What type of variable measurement is this? Are the categories mutually exclusive?
- A Physician diagnoses the presence or absence of disease (i.e., yes or no). What type of variable measurement is this?
- A person weighing 200 lbs. is considered to be twice as heavy as a person weighing 100 lbs. In this case, what type of measurement is body weight?
- A nurse takes measurements of body temperature on patients and reports them in units of degrees Farenheit as part of a study. What type of variable measurement is this?
- Patients rate their experience in the emergency room on a five point scale from poor to excellent ( 1 = very poor, 2 = not very good, 3 = neither good nor bad, 4 = quite good, and 5 = excellent). What type of variable measurement is this? Is the difference between a 1 and a 2 necessarily the same as the difference between a 3 and a 4? Explain briefly.
Part 2: Statistics (1/2 page)
Given what you’ve learned in this module about the meaning of “statistics,” choose one of the examples from Part I (A-F), and raise a relevant question of your own that could be answered by a statistician. Then without answering your own question, explain how a pattern could be studied or a useful prediction made based on data that are to be collected.
Part 3: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Data (approximately 1–1.5 pages)
A health scientist wishes to measure how well participants diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are coping. Explain how a variable such as coping could be measured quantitatively or qualitatively.
Use the information in the modular background readings as well as resources you find through ProQuest or other online sources. Please be sure to cite all sources and provide a reference list at the end of the paper. Submit the paper as a Word document through the link provided for the assignment.
Length: 2–3 pages typed and double-spaced.
Cook, A., Netuveli, G., & Sheikh, A. (2004). Basic Skills in Statistics: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, GBR: Class Publishing. eISBN: 9781859591291. Available in Ebrary, accessed via Trident’s online library.
Norman, G., and Streiner, D. (2008). Chapter The First: The Basics. (pages 2-6). Biostatistics The Bare Essentials. 3rd Edition. BC Decker Inc. PMPH USA, Ltd. Shelton, CT. eISBN: 9781607950585 pISBN: 9781550093476. Available in Ebrary, accessed via Trident’s online library.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
This assignment involves questions on variable measurement and statistics in the medical field. The first part requires the classification of variables as nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio. The second part involves forming a statistical question from one of the examples and explaining how data can be collected and studied. The third part focuses on the measurement of coping in participants diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Part 1: Variable Measurement
A) Nominal variable – Lifespan categories of single, married, divorced, or widowed have no inherent order, and each category is exclusive to the other.
B) Ordinal variable – Anxiety levels categorized as not anxious, mildly anxious, moderately anxious, and severely anxious, and labeled with numbers are an example of an ordinal variable. The categories are mutually exclusive, and the order of categories determines the rank of anxiety level.
C) Nominal variable – The presence or absence of disease diagnosed by a physician is a nominal variable. The categories are mutually exclusive, and each symptom can be classified as either present or absent.
D) Ratio variable – Body weight is an example of a ratio variable as it has an absolute zero point, and twice as much weight means twice the value.
E) Interval variable – Body temperature measured in degrees Fahrenheit is an example of an interval variable as it has no absolute zero point and is measured with a scale where intervals are the same size.
F) Ordinal variable – The patients’ experience rating of the emergency room on a five-point scale is an example of an ordinal variable. The difference between a rating of 1 and 2 may not be the same as the difference between 3 and 4 as it is based on subjective perception.
Part 2: Statistics
Suppose a health researcher wants to determine the effectiveness of a new PTSD therapy on managing coping mechanisms in patients. One relevant question that a statistician could answer is: Is there a significant difference in coping scores between participants who receive the new therapy and those who receive the standard therapy? To answer this question, the researcher can collect data on coping scores from both groups and use statistical techniques, such as a t-test or ANOVA, to compare the means of the two groups.
Part 3: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Data
Coping can be measured quantitatively through scales, questionnaires, or surveys such as the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). The CISS assesses coping strategies through three sub-scales that include task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented coping. Quantitative measurement allows for numerical analysis of coping patterns in different subgroups. On the other hand, coping can be measured qualitatively by conducting interviews or focus group discussions where patients express their feelings. Qualitative measurement provides a more in-depth understanding of the experiences and emotions of patients coping with PTSD, which can be valuable in developing tailored treatment plans.
