Data Sets & Variables

Lab 1 & 2

Instructor: Emma Marshall, JD, MA

Today’s Tasks

• Lab 1 & 2:
  • Identifying & Measuring variables
  • Introduction to final project datasets
  • Introduction to SPSS & JAMOVI

The Research Process

• MUST define within language/context of YOUR research
  • Look to what others have done

Identifying & Measuring Variables

Qualitative vs. Quantitative

• All observations start as QUALITATIVE
• Both are useful and legitimate
  • Can choose based on topic
  • OR Combine aspects of both

Qualitative Variables

Quantitative Variables

Quantitative Variables

• You count discrete data
• You measure continuous data

Discrete data

Continuous data

Practice: Survivor

Quantifying Behavior within the greatest game ever played…

Practice: Quantifying structure

Confessional: is when they sit there and talk to the camera one-on-one

• Confessional count per episode → discrete var

Practice: Quantifying quality

IMDB score: user generated ratings of quality

• User quality rating per episode → continuous var

What is Discrete Data? Discrete variables can only assume specific values that you cannot subdivide. Typically, you count them, and the results are integers. For example, if you work at an animal shelter, you’ll count the number of cats.

Discrete data can only take on specific values. For example, you might count 20 cats at the animal shelter. These variables cannot have fractional or decimal values. You can have 20 or 21 cats, but not 20.5! Natural numbers have discrete values.

Examples of discrete data include The number of books you check out from the library. The number of heads in a sequence of coin tosses. The result of rolling a die. The number of patients in a hospital. The population of a country.

What is Continuous Data? Continuous variables can assume any numeric value and can be meaningfully split into smaller parts. Consequently, they have valid fractional and decimal values. In fact, continuous data have an infinite number of potential values between any two points. Generally, you measure them using a scale.

When you see decimal places for individual values, you’re looking at a continuous variable.

Examples of continuous data include weight, height, length, time, and temperature.