Salient roles of older adults. In Psychology and Aging (December 2000), University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers studied the roles that older adults feel are the most important to them in late life. The accompanying table summarizes the most salient roles identified by each in a national sample of 1,102 adults, 65 years or older.
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MOST SALIENT ROLE
|
NUMBER
|
|
Spouse
|
424
|
|
Parent
|
269
|
|
Grandparent
|
148
|
|
Other relative
|
59
|
|
Friend
|
73
|
|
Homemaker
|
59
|
|
Provider
|
34
|
|
Volunteer, club, church member
|
36
|
|
Total
|
1,102
|
(a) Describe the qualitative variable summarized in the table. Give the categories associated with the variable.
(b) Are the numbers in the table frequencies or relative frequencies?
(c) Display the information in the table in a bar graph.
(d) Which role is identified by the highest percentage of older adults? Interpret the relative frequency associated with this role.