The Internet. Find an Internet source that reports on a study and describes the data. Print out the description and answer the same questions as for Exercises 1-4.
Exercise 1
Voters. A February 2007 Gallup Poll question asked, "In politics, as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent?" The possible responses were "Democrat", "Republican", "Independent", "Other", and "No Response". What kind of variable is the response?
Exercise 2
Mood. A January 2007 Gallup Poll question asked, "In general, do you think things have gotten better or gotten worse in this country in the last five years?" Possible answers were "Better", "Worse", "No Change", "Don't Know", and "No Response". What kind of variable is the response?
Exercise 3
Medicine. A pharmaceutical company conducts an experiment in which a subject takes 100 mg of a substance orally. The researchers measure how many minutes it takes for half of the substance to exit the bloodstream. What kind of variable is the company studying?
Exercise 4
Stress. A medical researcher measures the increase in heart rate of patients under a stress test. What kind of variable is the researcher studying?